


Who Says You Can't Go Home

by Emmajones830



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Devotion, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Friendship, Loyalty, One True Pairing, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 47,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22356844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmajones830/pseuds/Emmajones830
Summary: Sidney Parker has been away from Sanditon for over a year. While his family and friends try to unravel the mystery of his absence Sidney only has one thing on his mind, to earn back the love and trust of Charlotte Heywood. Will Sidney be able to recapture the love he has lost or will he find that you really can't go home again?
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker, Georgiana Lambe/Arthur Parker, Lord Babington/Esther Denham
Comments: 331
Kudos: 481





	1. Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> I have been thinking of different situations for a modern Sidlotte and I finally decided to write one of them. I know where I want this story going and I will tell you now that even though there will be angst there will be a happy ending. Thanks for reading!

The night sky was pitch black as Sidney Parker made his way back to Sanditon. The thunder and lightning from the storm had just stopped and the smell of rain filled his black Range Rover, drowning out the smell of his last cigarette. He knew he should watch his speed on these winding roads, but he wanted to make sure he got to Trafalgar House before midnight. There was no way that he would be starting the new year anywhere but home or at least the place he would like to call home, if she was there.

It had been over a year since he had been back. More than a year since he had spoken to his family. It had been 487 days since he last saw her standing there with that bright smile on her face. There had been no goodbyes and no explanations. He knew that he still couldn't provide either. Those 487 days had dragged him to places he never thought he would end up and he felt like he had lived a lifetime trying to claw his way out of the messed up situation he found himself in. What made it even worse was he should never have been there. It wasn't his problem to solve, but for the sake of his brother Tom's family and the devastating consequences of the choices Tom had made, well, he had to do something. Thinking of it made him angry. He had been so close to happiness and so close to a future that was so clear to him. He could still see it even now. 

He turned on the radio to distract him from his thoughts just to find "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi playing. "You've got to be kidding me!" He yelled to himself and turned the radio back off. He didn't need to listen to painful love songs at the moment. He had thought that the pain of a broken off engagement had been hard to endure, but he had recently found that the pain of a love not yet started may be worse. Maybe it was just the woman he longed for that made it that much more painful. 

The moonlight was shining on the ocean and he could see the lights of Sanditon in the distance. The beach town was somewhat secluded and the light pollution was minimal. You could see the Milky Way on a clear night. With every mile another memory would come back to him and his heart would beat faster. The closer he got the more he questioned if it was a good idea to come back now. There were still things that needed to be resolved, but he had to see her. He had to bring back hope into his life. 

The town had white Christmas lights strung along the main street which lead to a Christmas tree that impressed even him. He had no doubt who influenced such festive decor. Sidney parked on a side street hoping that he could sneak in the house without causing too much of a scene. He knew his sister in law Mary would have a few choice words for him, but she didn't know how close they had all been to losing everything. 

Sidney glanced at his watch, thirty minutes until the new year. He slipped into a back alleyway and entered through the small garden in the back. The music was playing quite loudly and he could see Mary grabbing a tray of champagne flutes half filled with the bubbly stuff. His heart pounded knowing he was about to stir up a wasps nest, but this was the first step in getting his life back. The life he wanted to lead. 

He snuck through the back door and into the kitchen that was currently empty. There was an open bottle of whiskey on the counter and he took a quick shot to calm his nerves. Just as he put the glass down Jenny and Alicia ran into the kitchen. 

"Uncle Sidney!" they immediately jumped on him. "Where have you been?"

"Hunting down monsters and searching for fairies." He said teasingly. He loved his nieces to bits and feeling their small arms clinging to his neck confirmed that he had made the right decision to come home now, even if he had been advised to wait a few months. "What are you girls still doing up?"

"Mum said we could stay up and have some apple cider with the grown ups." Alicia said proudly. She had grown so much since he had last seen her, but she acted as though no time had gone by.

He could hear footsteps coming into the kitchen "Girls, I have your drinks out-" Mary stood there in shock. "Sidney?"

"Hello Mary" Sidney replied trying not to sound to cowardly. He knew he had done what was needed, but there was a guilt that hung over him that made him feel like he did something wrong. Mary ran to him and embraced him tightly. She let go of him slowly and did a once over with her eyes before she smacked him on the face. 

"I guess I deserved that." He said as he rubbed his now slightly red cheek. 

"Do you know how worried I was? How worried we all were?" She exclaimed. She was running her fingers through her hair. 

"I truly am sorry, Mary, but there were things I had to take care of. You knew I was alright. I mean I did keep in touch." Mary looked over him like a mother sometimes and he knew this would not fly with her, but there wasn't much else he could say. 

"Proof of life texts sent randomly to different family members doesn't count as staying in touch, Sidney. You were here one day and gone the next. A few rumors had gotten back to us and poor Char-" She took a deep breath. Just the short mention of her name made his heart drop. "I just hope you realized the pain you caused us."

"I know, but I'm back now, for good." Sidney knew his family loved him and would forgive him for his actions, but there was only one person who he really cared to obtain absolution from. That would be a harder challenge to overcome. 

Mary hugged him again this time with a more tender touch. "I'm just glad you are okay, Sidney. Let's go ring in the new year."

Sidney and Mary walked into the living room. The music was loud and there were various guests about. Some Sidney didn't know, but there were a few he did, some from higher society. He saw Tom towering over everybody and the TV host had started the countdown. It appeared that everyone had already had several drinks and his presence wasn't that noticed. His eyes then met Tom's from across the room. Their eyes stayed glued to each other as the countdown ended. "Happy New Year!" Tom yelled boisterously. Sidney watched as people toasted and kissed. The happy feeling throughout the house was something Sidney had not felt for some time, but even though he was surrounded by these people, he felt alone.

Tom made his way across the room without making a scene. "Sidney" He hugged his brother. "I thought you weren't coming back for a couple of months." He whispered.  
"After some thought I decided it is time that I start choosing the direction of my life." Sidney said trying not to have any emotion in his tone. He didn't want to waste another day and felt it was safe enough to come back. 

"Is that wise? I mean-" Tom had a worried look on his face. 

"We can talk about this later, Tom. Let's not start the new year off on the wrong foot." He took a swig of champagne. "Where is Diana?"

"She wasn't feeling well and decided to stay at home." Tom looked smug as he looked at the guests around the room. "Quite a turn out, wouldn't you say?"

Sidney ignored his comment in order to not go down some rabbit hole conversation about who is who and who has what wealth. 

"And what about Arthur?" Sidney had missed his younger brother terribly. The one sibling, who even though he could be ridiculous, gave the most honest and best advice. 

"Oh, he left a bit earlier with Georgiana and Charlotte. They were going to toast in the new year at the bar with James and Fred. I guess they wanted to hang around a younger crowd than what would be here." Tom saw a couple of his guests glasses start to run low on champagne and decided to correct the situation. "I'll be right back."

Sidney closed his eyes for a moment. She is still here. He had believed she would be, but due to the limited communication he had in the past year, he didn't know for sure. He definitely couldn't just come out and ask. He sat down on the dark brown leather chair in the corner and nursed another glass of whiskey. He didn't really know what his next move would be, but there was no doubt this next week would be a hard one. 

After some time all the guests slowly left Trafalgar house and he decided it was time to go check into the hotel. He was exhausted and just wanted to go lay down in a nice warm bed. He really wanted his own bed at the townhouse, but he wasn't ready to have conversations with the other residents there. That would be a task for tomorrow. He grabbed his black pea coat and threw it on. 

"I'm heading out." He yelled towards the kitchen. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Come by for lunch! There is much to discuss." Mary yelled back. The idea of lunch didn't sound appealing, but he knew it was better to get it out of the way.

Sidney reached for the door handle, but before he could grab it the door opened and in stumbled a laughing Arthur, who was trying to hold up an intoxicated Charlotte Heywood. Sidney felt as though his heart stopped. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. The length of her hair had grown by several inches and strands of it fell over her chest. The tight black dress she was wearing wasn't something Sidney was used to seeing her in. She didn't notice him initially and just let out that infectious giggle of hers, laughing at the unknown. Arthur came to his senses, but looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Sidney? Is that you?"

His name shook Charlotte to her core and it felt like she was punched in the stomach. She stood up straight to meet his eyes and reality hit her instantly. He was back. Her breathing got heavier and he noticed her hands were shaking ever so slowly. 

"Sidney?" She said so low he could barely hear her. She felt lightheaded and she didn't know if it was the alcohol or the sudden presence of the man standing before her. 

"Charlotte"


	2. Two Moscow Mules Are Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate all your comments on the first chapter. I am sorry this one took a little longer.....work got in the way (insert Sidney eye roll here). This one is kind of laying the ground work to get me where I am going.

The throbbing in her head felt similar to someone playing their bass too loudly in their car and was just as irritating. Immediately she knew that she should have listened to Georgiana's warnings about drinking too much. Charlotte had made herself a promise to let go of the past and live in the moment this New Year. She wanted to allow herself to have more fun and stop worrying about things she couldn't control. Drinking wasn't something she did often, but she didn't think three or four drinks would cause so much damage. Now all she wanted to do was to let go of her stomach contents and go back to bed, but she had a nagging suspicion that she wasn't alone. Charlotte slowly opened her eyes and saw a figure sitting in the bright yellow chair in the corner of the room. 

"Are you finally awake?" Her best friend, Georgiana Lambe, asked impatiently as she stopped texting and put her phone down.

"What happened?" Charlotte rolled over searching for her phone to check what time it was. It was a little past ten in the morning. The longest she had slept in for some time. "How did I get here?" 

"I told you after the second Moscow mule that you should cut it off." Georgiana came over and kindly handed her a glass of water and some Motrin. "You picked a good night to start drinking. Arthur texted me that Sidney was back and I couldn't believe it."

The memories of last night were hazy, but slowly Charlotte remembered fumbling through the front door and laughing at the memory of a drunk Esther singing karaoke. She recalled looking up and seeing Sidney Parker standing in front of her. She thought that she had been dreaming, but the moment she started to process that this was reality, everything went black. Suddenly, Charlotte felt a lump in her throat. "I may be sick."

"I know. He is causing the same reaction in me right now, but we need to get out of here. Arthur said he was coming here for lunch today. He should be here soon, so let's get you out of your grandma pajamas and get out of here." Georgiana started grabbing Charlotte some jeans and a sweater and tossed it at her. 

"I like my pajamas." Charlotte said as she pulled at her red plaid pajamas. They were soft and warm and had a way of always making her feel safe. "How did I even get in my pajamas?"

"Arthur told me you passed out after you walked through the door. Sidney picked you up and carried you to bed."

Charlotte covered her face with her hands. "He carried me to bed? Oh, God! He didn't-."

"No, Mary did. According to Arthur's text updates, Sidney left after he made sure you were okay. He apparently didn't say much to anybody. He is staying at the hotel." 

"Did you know he was coming back? Did you have any idea?" Charlotte remained curled up in bed and noticed Georgiana had also brought up some tea with a biscuit. 

"Charlotte, you know that my communication with Sidney was much like everybody else's. If I had any idea I would have told you. I was here. I remember how upset you were after he left. He may be in charge of my trust until I turn 25, but my loyalty belongs to you." Georgiana had only received random texts from Sidney here and there over the past year. The texts she received just confirmed he was okay or she would just get a random picture of him somewhere. She always felt it was odd and not in character for him, but she liked not having him constantly over her shoulder. She had witnessed the hurt that Charlotte had experienced and how worried Mary had been, but Tom seemed oddly unaffected as he went about his daily life. Arthur and Diana reported it to the authorities believing he had been kidnapped or drugged, but since there was proof he was okay, nobody wanted to investigate a grown man choosing to start a life elsewhere. 

Charlotte felt conflicted as she lay there thinking about him. Part of her wanted to run from the situation and avoid Sidney Parker at all costs. The other part of her wanted to march downstairs and give him a piece of her mind when he arrived. He deserved to know the hurt that he had caused everyone and how much her hope had dwindled away with each passing day that she didn't hear from him herself. The amount of worry that she felt and how it weighed upon her every day. She never understood why he didn't reach out to her and had sensed something was wrong from the moment she last saw him. There wasn't much she could do about it though. He had changed his number and always contacted Mary or Georgiana from an unknown number. 

There were times she felt like a fool for even thinking of him. Charlotte had met Sidney's brother, Tom Parker, while he was in her hometown of Willingden. He hired her almost immediately to be his assistant and she came to Sanditon in the spring. Her duties included typical clerical work and organizing his mess of an office, but she was also encouraged to provide any thoughts or ideas she had on the multiple projects going on around the beach town. A month into her employment the remarkably handsome Sidney Parker arrived to assist Tom with the old resort refurbishment that had been long overdue. Sidney and Charlotte had butted heads on several issues, but both agreed that the resort could be renovated and together, with James Stringer, they had some wonderful plans and ideas drawn up. The long days spent working on the Sanditon project slowly turned into long nights talking about life, literature, and old movies they both liked. Their conversations were always meaningful and he always seemed to know exactly what she was thinking when they were out in a crowd. After he left she thought that maybe she had created this whole relationship with him, but there had been such an intensity between them that she couldn't believe that to be true. He had to have felt it too.

"What do I do, Georgie? I keep telling myself I should just hide in this room until he decides to leave town again, but the other part of me just misses him. I want to see him. I want to make sure he is okay." Charlotte could feel her eyes start to burn. She was overly tired, hungover, and hungry. A combination that was making her even more emotional than she should be. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Nothing makes sense."

Georgiana stared at her friend intently trying to pretend she knew what to do in this situation. She herself was inexperienced when it came to love, but she knew what it looked like. Her parents had been madly in love and devoted to each other. The way they were always so affectionate and the little things they would do for each other. Georgiana had witnessed these small things happening between Sidney and Charlotte that summer. Even though she knew they never moved their relationship to that level, it was clear.  
"There is no right or wrong answer here, Charlotte. It really comes down to whether you want to start that conversation with him right now or not."

"You're right." Charlotte let out a deep breath and took inventory on how she felt at this moment. "I don't want to sound like a coward, but I think I am going to crawl back in bed and sleep off this hangover."

"You aren't a coward. It's better you do that anyways. Then when you are ready we will get you in your hottest outfit and show Sidney what he is missing." Georgiana tucked Charlotte into bed and walked towards the door. "Text me later." She smiled as she exited the room.

Charlotte rolled back into bed, but she couldn't go back to sleep. She lay there with her eyes closed tightly trying to clear her mind of all thoughts, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get the image of his face out of her mind.  
______

Sidney arrived at Trafalgar house at eleven. He hoped lunch would consist of shallow conversation because he was not ready to engage in anything any deeper. Amends had to be made, but there was only so much he could talk about at the moment. He hesitated outside the front door for a minute knowing Charlotte would also be inside and secretly hoping she would come down to lunch. The winter weather had made Sanditon so grey at the moment. With the sounds of the new construction off in the distance, he took a deep breath and rang the bell.

"I didn't know if you would really show." Mary answered the door and led him to the dining room. Sidney surveyed the home and saw that nothing much had changed. The warm brown leather of the couches and the smell of sandalwood mixed with grapefruit. "I made your favorite, Shepard’s pie." 

They entered the dining area and he saw Tom sitting next to the children. To his amazement, Georgiana was standing in the room and walked over to take the seat next to Mary. Charlotte was nowhere to be seen and his heart sank a little. Sidney was not an optimist so he wasn't sure why he had hoped that she would be there. It was understandable that she would try avoiding him, and who knows what she even thought of him. The softness of her lips came back to him as he thought of their last moment together. He pushed the thought from his mind.

"Thank you, Mary. You didn't need to go to so much trouble. A quick sandwich would have sufficed." Sidney took his place on the other side of Georgiana whom he had not spoken to since his arrival. 

"Mary asked if I wanted to stay for lunch. I hope you aren't too put off by it." Georgiana said to him. 

"Not at all. I'm glad to see you. I would have spoken to you last night, but it was late." Sidney dished himself out some food even though he wasn't in the mood to eat. 

"I'm shocked to see you and to be honest I didn't know if I would ever see you again." Georgiana said sharply as she stared at him. "Did you not think that maybe people here cared about you and have been worried since you left? We know you like to demonstrate your asshole-like behavior on a regular basis, but that was really a bad move. A whole year of not know-"

"Language, Georgiana. The kids are here." Mary butted in knowing that Georgiana was right, but trying to keep the peace. "Sidney can explain his absence when he is ready. In the meantime, we should just be thankful he is back and healthy."

"I apologize, Mary. I didn't mean any disrespect." Georgiana said.

"It's okay. Why don't we all update Sidney on Sanditon happenings?" Years of being married to Tom had made Mary an expert on changing conversations quickly. 

"I started ballet, Uncle Sidney!” Jenny chimed in. As she played with the peas on her plate. 

"That's lovely, Jenny. What about you Alicia?" Sidney asked his other niece. He had missed the children dearly while he was away. He knew it would be easier to earn the children's forgiveness than the adult women in his life and was pleased to hear about their activities. 

"I started swimming lessons." Alicia replied appearing disinterested with the whole luncheon. 

"The construction on the resort is almost complete. James has been spectacular. He and Charlotte have made an unbelievable team and have been able to push everything ahead of schedule. We will be opening on Valentine's weekend now. The place is booked." Tom finally chimed in. 

"That's great, Tom." Georgiana noticed Sidney's jaw clench as he spoke the words. She could sense something was odd between the two men from the moment that they walked through the door, but she couldn't put her finger on it. 

"Speaking of Charlotte. She is actually moving in with Arthur and I at the end of the month. We have leased a townhouse on Tilney Place and now that you're back it seems fitting we move out." Georgiana took a drink of water from her glass as she covertly glanced at Sidney's phone. It had lit up with a text and she could swear she saw a picture of Charlotte on it, but Sidney grabbed it before she could get a proper look.

"How is Charlotte? Is she feeling better this morning?" Mary inquired. 

"Charlotte is well. She had a bit of a headache and went back to sleep. She was exhausted from last night. We had a little too much fun at James' party, but that is her resolution this year. Have more fun."

Sidney continued to listen to Georgiana speak about the party they attended, but it slowly turned into a conversation about the new farmer's market that would be starting the following Saturday and a pasta recipe that Mary wanted to try. Tom stayed busy on his phone until he finally excused himself to the annoyance of Mary. Sidney just sat there looking at his empty cup of coffee wondering what would happen if he walked upstairs and went to her room. He wanted to know if these emotions he felt every time he thought of her would still be there when they spoke or had he fantasized about her so much that reality wouldn't be the same. Georgiana interrupted him while he was lost in his thoughts.

"I'm going to leave now. I expect that you and I will have a talk later." Georgiana said. 

"Yes, I'll be home shortly." Sidney leaned in and whispered. "How is Charlotte, really?"

"You need to ask her that yourself, Sidney." Georgiana patted him on the shoulder as she walked away. 

Sidney started helping Mary with cleaning up and carried some dishes to the kitchen. He turned the water on and started scrubbing off the dried potato remnants from the plate.  
"You don't have to do that Sidney." Mary said as she walked in carrying more dishes. "I'm sorry Tom didn't stay longer. I don't know what has gotten into him lately."

"Don't worry about it Mary. Tom or the dishes. I'll talk to him soon. I'm just glad to get back to some normalcy in my life." Sidney looked at Mary with tired eyes. Mary took his soapy hands knowing there was much going on with this man she cared so much about. 

"What happened, Sidney? I just don't understand why you distanced yourself from all of us." Mary didn't want to push him too hard since she didn't know the reason for his absence. "I know you love your family and -"

"Mary, you'll know in time the reasons for everything. All I ask of you right now is just patience and forgiveness. Forgive me for worrying you." 

"People need community. Don't forget that." Mary gave him a hug and then took the last plate from his hand. "You should go rest. You had a long night."

Sidney agreed that taking a long nap sounded like a good idea and he was curious about the current condition of his house. Arthur and Georgiana together made quite the pair and considering both of them had a way about them, he didn't expect anything to be clean. He said his goodbyes and left Trafalgar house. 

He stepped onto the street and welcomed the sun that was now peeking through the fog. The town, much like his brother's house, looked the same but there was a different feel about it. He took a cigarette out of his pocket and rolled it around his fingers contemplating whether he should light it. Suddenly, he felt like eyes were on him. He turned around and looked up to see Charlotte in the window. Their eyes locked and to his shock she didn't close the curtains, but remained standing there, stoically. He felt like her eyes tear into his soul, but he couldn't look away. The sunlight was hitting her through the window in such a way that she looked mesmerizing even in her oversized flannel pajamas. He didn't know if he should nod or smile and ended up doing neither. Her hair was messy and partly up. The first few buttons of her flannel pajama top were undone and the shirt hung off her shoulder. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. 

Charlotte could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It was possible that he was more handsome now than he had been before or maybe it was the slight stubble he had on his face that made him seem rougher around the edges. Looking at him now she knew she was in trouble still. She hoped that he couldn't see the slight smile that she felt come across her face as she closed the curtains.


	3. Moving Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! Special thanks to Amy for being the grammar police. :)

It had been two weeks since Sidney had arrived back in town and he still hadn’t spoken to Charlotte. It seemed like he had always just missed her, which wasn’t something he was used to. Before he left it felt as though she was everywhere, always popping up in the places he least expected and he had grown to like it. He even bumped into her in the men’s locker room at the gym once. Sidney knew he had to stop dawdling and seek her out; today would be the day.

Sidney walked downstairs and noticed the empty boxes flung about. It didn’t appear to him that he was too missed in his own home. Georgiana had redecorated a lot of the house and had some questionable paintings hanging up in the living room. There was also some odd decor in the bathroom that appeared to have been placed there by Arthur. Arthur had told him he could keep it, but Sidney graciously insisted that he move it over to their new house. They were packing rather slowly, but even with the dark cloud still hanging over Sidney, these two mischief makers were good at making him laugh.

“Sid! Would you like buttered toast, a scone or a croissant?” Arthur said way too joyfully for this hour of the morning.

“No, thanks.” Sidney said as he glanced around at the messy kitchen. He already knew the moment these two were gone that he would be having a maid service come do a deep clean. “I’m good with my black coffee.”

“Suit yourself, brother, but there is nothing like carbs in the morning.” Arthur said as he was dancing to music only he could hear.

“Do you happen to know where Charlotte will be today?” Sidney asked nonchalantly while he opened his paper. There were stacks of magazines and old mail on the kitchen table.

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” Arthur teased as he started buttering his golden toast. Even though Sidney didn't want to eat any breakfast, the kitchen did smell delicious.

“Who are we killing this early in the morning?” Georgiana bounced into the kitchen and Arthur automatically handed her a hot cup of tea and she kissed him on the cheek. 

“Sidney has finally asked about Charlotte.” Arthur replied. When Sidney arrived back home, Arthur was quick to welcome him with open arms. He was ecstatic to see his brother appear to be in good health and knowing that Sidney was the sensible sibling, he felt that whatever the reason was that Sidney had been gone, it would be shared in good time. He also wasn’t blind to the connection Sidney and Charlotte had before he vanished. Time had gone by, but he highly doubted there wouldn't be a reigniting of that flame. Charlotte had been heartbroken when Sidney left, but he always noticed how her face would perk up at the mention of his name. Even when she was resolved to stop thinking of him that look would come across her face.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Sidney asked. "We were friends. I don't think it's odd I should ask about her."

“Friends? Don’t be daft, Sidney. Honestly, I expected a little more from you. I thought you would have seen her the moment you arrived, but I guess Arthur was right that you had to work up the nerve.” Georgiana smirked and shot a glance at Arthur. The two of them had made a bet the first week Sidney was back on how long it would take Sidney to go see Charlotte. Arthur won.

“I would appreciate it if neither of you speculated on-" Sidney didn't know what they were insinuating, but knew he didn't want any of his feelings towards any woman to be talked about. "I only asked about her because we were friendly and while I am doing my rounds of apologies, she should be at the top of the list. I mean I did leave her with extra work.” Sidney felt his face starting to get warm and just wanted out of this room. Since he had been back the amount of teasing that he had to endure from Georgiana and Arthur was enough to drive a man mad.

“If I remember correctly, James had mentioned something about a fire inspection being completed this morning at the club at the new resort.” Georgiana said smiling as she sipped her tea.

“Isn’t Charlotte usually the one who meets the inspectors?” Arthur asked already knowing the answer.

“Why yes, yes I believe she does.” Georgiana wanted Charlotte to have some peace in her life and knew that would only come by finally speaking to Sidney. She only wanted to see Charlotte get some closure. 

Sidney rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket. “I think you guys need to speed up your packing. Didn’t I hear that your new place is ready for move in?”

They pretended not to hear him as they chatted about some new Instagram post.

“Bye then” Sidney yelled as he walked out the door.

“So what do you think is going to happen with those two?” Arthur asked the moment Sidney left.

“A whole lot of drama, so get your popcorn ready.” Georgiana replied jokingly. 

—————

There was a light fog hanging over the streets of Sanditon. The smell of coffee was lingering outside of the local cafe. Sidney decided to stop in and grab a cup for himself and one for Charlotte. There would be nothing wrong with starting your road to redemption with a cup of java. He was amazed by the progress the new resort had made since he had been gone. So much can happen in a year.

The white siding of the resort stood out against the light green grassy knolls. The rooftop tiles were a brick red color and the resort gave off a turn of the century vibe. Sidney walked through the covered walkways and saw how the wood had been carved into intricate seashell patterns. The handiwork was quite impressive. As he entered the lobby the dark wood flooring gave a warmth to the large lobby that had a few workers touching up paint and installing light fixtures. One of the workers provided directions to the night club which he would have been lost without. The resort ended up being bigger than he had imagined.

Sidney reached the doors to Club Utopia and took a deep breath. He clenched his jaw not knowing how he would be received, but he dared to hope that she would be in a forgiving mood. There was work to be done between them and he was prepared to do whatever was needed to earn back her trust.

The sound of music interrupted his thoughts as he slowly opened the door. Charlotte was alone in the middle of the dance floor. A spotlight shone down on her and created just the right shadows and light. Sidney stood there admiring her form as she danced. Her tight white tank top accentuated her chest and he could see her black bra through it. The brown curls he had loved so much that summer hung lower and almost touched the top of her tight jeans. He was enraptured by the sight of her. There was an internal struggle for him to not run over and swoop her up in his arms. Where his hands would travel if they had the right. Suddenly the sound of her voice brought him back to reality.

“My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard  
And they're like, it's better than yours  
Damn right it's better than yours  
I can teach you, but I have to charge  
My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.” 

Charlotte sang at the top of her lungs as she danced. Sidney smiled as he watched her looking so happy and free. He wondered what the appropriate amount of time was to watch someone before you would be considered a stalker.

Charlotte was lost to the music and hadn’t heard Sidney’s footsteps as he approached. She loved to dance and would often turn on some loud music and let her inhibitions go. Dancing always seemed to help her deal with stress and she had been very stressed out since Sidney’s arrival. The song ended and Charlotte walked over to grab a drink of water from the table. As she turned she saw Sidney standing there. He looked like he had walked straight out of GQ Magazine.

“How long have you been standing there?” Embarrassment washed over Charlotte along with a little bit of annoyance. 

"Is that what you've been up to since I have been gone? Trying to get all the boys to the yard?" Sidney laughed and then realized he shouldn't have said that. 

"I assumed you didn't care about anything I was doing while you were gone." Charlotte grabbed her sweater and threw it over her. She felt more exposed than she wanted to in her tank top, but at the same time felt it could make him realize what he had missed out on.

"Forgive me. That was a dumb thing to say. Can we start over?" Sidney's stomach turned. Actually speaking to her ended up being harder than he expected and he could feel his mouth going dry. 

Charlotte just stood there studying him. He had been so used to knowing what she was thinking without any words being spoken, but now she was hard to read.   
"Hello, Charlotte." Sidney smiled slightly. "I brought you some coffee. One pump vanilla, one pump cinnamon and no creamer."

"Your memory seems to be intact." She smiled sweetly as her fingertips grazing slowly over his as she took the cup from his hands. Her touch made Sidney tremble inside.   
"I remember everything." 

"Except my number apparently." Charlotte took a sip of her coffee and raised an eyebrow. Sidney watched her lick her full lips as she pulled her mouth away from the cup. His thoughts went back to one of their last moments together and how soft her lips felt on his. 

"Charlotte, I am not a fool. I know that my actions were dishonorable. I wish I could tell you everything right now, but I can't. I just want you to know that I am so very sorry." He wanted to tell her how he thought of her every day. He wanted to tell her how much he was tormented by the time they had lost. The thought that she may never forgive him was like a knife to his heart, and he hoped that this whole fiasco wouldn't ruin the future he pictured for himself. 

"It isn't every day that you kiss someone and they disappear the next day. It doesn't really boost a woman's self-esteem" Charlotte's thoughts went back to that night on the beach. The night she finally let her guard down and had kissed him. Her nervousness had overtaken her, but when he answered her kiss with eager passion she knew she had made the right decision. Sidney had put his arms around her and even now she would remember how nice his hands felt as they moved down her back and slightly squeezed her backside. The happiness she had felt as he walked her back home. 

"I don't regret that moment, not for one second. The last thing I wanted to do was leave." 

"But you did. I could have handled it better if you would have just contacted me. Didn't you think that I deserved some type of goodbye? You ghosted me. You could have at least let me down in a text or something. Instead I had to hear from Tom that you were fine, weeks later. He said you were in London, and then nothing else was mentioned. It didn't seem like the Sidney I knew, and I worried about you every day." Charlotte was feeling anger rise up in her. Thinking of the days right after Sidney's departure made her want to cry. She had felt betrayed. "I don't know what you want from me right now."

"I know. You have every right to be angry. I just want you to give me a chance. A chance to rebuild our friendship."

"Sidney." Charlotte's voice was lower and sounded hurt. "I saw that picture of you in the paper."

Immediately Sidney knew which photo she was talking about. A photo that he had wished wasn't taken and definitely didn't want published because of this very reason. His worst fear was being realized right now that she had indeed seen it, and now probably thinks he is a cad. The photo was of Sidney attending a gala in London with Eliza Campion on his arm. Eliza came from money and had various investments and business dealings with Tom. 

"I wish you hadn't seen that." Sidney remembered asking the photographer to not publish it. He wasn't doing anything wrong, but just being in the presence of another woman while he couldn't talk to Charlotte made him feel like a cheater.

"Well, I did."

"It wasn't what it looked like. There are so many things I wish I could explain and tell you right now, but I can't. There was nothing and is nothing between me and that woman." Sidney's feelings of disgust that he harbored towards Eliza were valid and off the charts. He knew what a conniving con artist she was.

"If you say so." Charlotte didn't truly know what Sidney's relationship with Eliza was. She had only heard Tom ever mention that name, but he always spoke of her like she was God's gift to Sanditon. She didn't even know Sidney socialized with her, but the thought of seeing his smile in that photo made her sick to her stomach.

"You have to trust me. There truly was nothing going on between us. It was a business obligation only." Sidney pleaded slightly.

The words hung in the air as Charlotte tried to figure Sidney out. Asking her to trust him was a bold move. She could make up so many scenarios and justifications for why he didn't reach out to her, but that photo had only made her think the worst. Arthur had assured her that there was no way anything would be going on with his brother and Eliza, but insecurities took over. 

"I've decided." Charlotte suddenly said defiantly. She was slightly unsure of herself, but knew that she had to go with her gut instinct which was telling her to give Sidney another chance.

"Decided what?" Sidney asked hoping for the best. 

"I've decided I am not going to let the events of the past haunt me. What is done is done. I can't change it. I didn't deserve what you did to me-"

"No, you did not." Sidney cut her off. 

"I don't know if our friendship can ever go back to what it once was, but I just want to move forward and not focus the 'what should have beens' or 'what ifs'." 

"I'll take what I can get." Sidney stated as he focused on her forgiving face. His heart skipped a beat. There was a long way to go, but this was a start. She was talking to him without any sort of spite in her tone. They gazed at each other for a moment and Sidney unconsciously took a step forward towards her. The tension between them always seemed to be there. 

They were suddenly interrupted by James Stringer who had entered the club. Sidney looked at him and saw that the young architect had become more muscular while he was gone. This made Sidney rethink his own workout routine.

"James, it's nice to see you again." Sidney greeted him. "The resort looks great. You did a really fine job with it."

James extended his hand for Sidney to shake. "Yes, it came out very well. There are just a few things we are touching up here and there. We have these inspections to pass and then we will be good to go. I can't wait for opening weekend." James looked towards Charlotte and noticed her looking at her feet. She seemed vexed and a little disoriented. "I heard you were finally back. The town missed you. I hope you aren't leaving again any time soon."

"No, I'm back for good. I am just getting my bearings back." Sidney didn't notice the light that sparked in Charlotte's eyes when he said he was back for good. 

"You should come to dinner tomorrow at my place. It's just a few of us. Charlotte will be there with Adam. I can introduce you to some of the new staff. I assume you will be getting involved again with operations."

Sidney tried to look unaffected by the name mentioned with Charlotte's, but the curiosity and concern gripped him. 

"I would love to."

"Okay, be there at 7 p.m." James turned his attentions to Charlotte who had been standing there quietly while the men conversed. "Charlotte and I need to get going. The fire inspector should be here at any time."

"Oh yes, sorry, I have to be on my way too. See you both tomorrow!" 

The moment that Sidney was out of the room, Charlotte turned to James and punched him in the shoulder. "Why did you have to say Adam would be there?" She shrieked. 

"Well, he is and what does it matter?" James said not understanding Charlotte's concern. 

"It was just the way you said it. It was like we would be there together. I don't want Sidney to get the wrong impression."

"Weren't you the one yelling on New Year's that you were finally over Sidney Parker?" James laughed remembering how a drunk Charlotte had climbed up on his table and yelled to anyone who would listen how Sidney Parker was dead to her.

Charlotte just shook her head not wanting to think about any more idiotic things she did while intoxicated. Sidney Parker was definitely not dead to her and never would be. Their meeting just now confirmed that the feelings she tried to suppress in the last year were anything but gone. 

"People say stupid things when they are drunk." Charlotte sighed to herself.


	4. Family Matters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for your comments. Time for some backstory.

The next morning was unusually sunny for the time of year and the weather slightly warmer. Sidney thought it would be a good day to get back in his running routine. Running to him was a type of meditation, even something he would consider a spiritual practice. This type of exercise allowed him to be alone with his thoughts and quiet his mind. 

The pounding of his feet on the sand sounded like a beat of a drum lulling him into a more relaxing pace. He looked at the new terraces on the cliff tops that somehow blended charmingly with the natural beauty of the beach. The current vision of Sanditon was not his dream, but his brother Tom's.

Sidney had always felt a little lost in the world never truly knowing where he belonged. His mother used to tell him that he had a gypsy soul like hers. Thinking of her now he could remember his mother’s soft hand in his like it was yesterday. She would always take him on walks to the cove to collect shells and have pirate adventures. His mother had a closer relationship with him than his other siblings. She would always carve out time for him and even though his father had planned for Sidney to take over the family business, she encouraged him to follow his own path. The death of their parents had hit the Parker siblings hard. An accident had taken their lives while they had been on holiday. On a holiday that his mother had fantasized about for years. It shocked Sidney how he felt comfort in Sanditon at the moment. Most likely due to the disorder that was his life this past year. 

Immediately after graduating, he went to university to get away from the memories the town held of his parents. He thought that being far away would make it easier on him. Sidney watched as his older brother dived into work and tried to further their father’s ventures. His ambition was infectious, but Sidney knew his brother had flaws. Tom was rather stubborn and wouldn’t take advice from other more seasoned business men when they offered. Due to Tom being the oldest and of age, the rest of the Parker siblings didn't have a say in how the family business was run. Sidney’s younger siblings, Arthur and Diana, clung to each other as their family fractured.

While attending school, Sidney started investing in various projects with his small inheritance. Even though he tried to deny it, he did have a mind for business like his father thought, and did better than he expected. His plan was to earn enough money to allow him to travel freely and see the sights his mother never could. He remained focused, but then Sanditon drew him back. Tom had extravagant plans for the town and with the help and artistic vision of James there was no doubt it would come to fruition.

Tom had asked Sidney for his help in overseeing the project for a season which was a shock to Sidney. Sidney felt Tom must have needed the assistance since he was always so proud. The budgets needed to be reviewed and Tom wanted the workers to be evaluated. Sidney had agreed knowing his own plans would only be put off for a few months. He didn’t think that it would end up costing him a year of his life, but there was one bright spot in all this Sanditon business, Charlotte.

He remembered back to the day he met her. In an instant he had been struck by her natural beauty and he could hardly remember his own name when he introduced himself. The more that he got to know her, the more he realized what a brilliant mind she had. She was nothing like the women he had encountered back at school or the social circles he had to navigate while in London. He felt himself drawn to her. He had never had that feeling before and wasn’t sure what to think of it. He was enchanted by the big smile of hers that lit up her eyes. 

As he wrapped up his run he couldn't help but smile, trying hard to contain the excitement he felt knowing he would see her later that evening.

———

Tom was looking out his office window when he saw Sidney walking towards the front door. Tom fidgeted and put some files away, trying to appear more organized than he actually was. The brothers were always there for each other when needed, Sidney more so than Tom, but their relationship was contentious. Tom was always jealous of Sidney's relationship with his mother, but the plans their father had for Sidney hurt Tom. Tom always had a love for Sanditon which he knew Sidney lacked. Sidney would envy Tom's carefree ways. Tom always seemed to get into some sort of trouble and Sidney, being the sensible one, would always help him out. Sidney would tell himself that this is what his parents would want. As they aged, they made a sort of unspoken agreement. They would put their differences aside and do what was needed to keep their family one unit.

Sidney entered the room and immediately closed the door behind him. Tom’s office was dirty and smelled of cedar wood. Sidney could tell it had not been cleaned in some time and because of the dust that lingered everywhere, he could tell which files had not been touched in awhile. Tom never allowed Mary in his office to clean. Sidney had initially thought this was a kindness Tom was extending, knowing how dirty Tom was. Now Sidney knew there were other reasons. 

“Sidney! It’s about time we caught up.” Tom said in a manner that was a little too happy for Sidney’s liking. Tom proceeded to pour himself a brandy. “You want a drink?”

“No, thank you. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s a tad early for a drink.” Sidney could feel Tom’s nervousness as he watched his brother down his glass in one quick gulp. Drinking was another vice Sidney was trying to stop. 

“How was London?” Tom asked with hesitation in his voice. 

“Are we really doing this, Tom?” There was no doubt this conversation would not be pleasant, but Tom’s attitude was already too much for Sidney to bear. “Have you told Mary?”

“I haven’t had the chance yet.” Tom said as he sat back down looking everywhere but at Sidney.

“Tom! You have had over a year to prepare her for this. Do you want her to be blindsided when this all comes out?” Sidney was flabbergasted by Tom’s lack of concern. He knew his brother loved his wife, so keeping her in the dark in regard to the storm coming their way was disheartening.

“I didn’t think I needed to worry her.” Tom swirled the ice that was leftover in his glass.

“Tom, this is not going to go the way you think. They have evidence. I don’t know what you were thinking getting wrapped up with that woman.” Sidney knew all too well the stupid decisions that Tom had made. He also knew that Sanditon may never be the same once everything is said and done.

“You don’t know everything, Sidney. I’m sure it will all work out fine.” Tom said. His tone was still jovial even though his stomach started to churn.

“You have no idea what I know, Tom. The things I’ve seen. I shouldn’t even be speaking to you about it, but I care about this family. When this investigation is over there will be things you will have to answer to and I will not be able to protect you.” Sidney declared. He could feel his face starting to turn red. 

“I don’t expect you to protect me.”

“Oh, don’t you? Let me remind you that the only reason I have been gone was to try and help with a mess you created. What do you think dad would think right now? Do you think he would appreciate having the town he loved, the town he developed become sullied by his ignorant son!” Sidney yelled. He could feel himself forming a fist with his hand. A negative, hateful feeling started to wash over him as he thought of poor Mary and the children. At this moment he wanted to punch his brother. 

They both heard the front door close suddenly and could hear Mary’s calm voice as she spoke to the children and told them to get changed into their house clothes.

“I think you better leave now. I’ll tell Mary that you had a meeting at the hotel.” Tom huffed without acknowledging Sidney's last statements.

“And if you don’t tell her everything soon, I will.” Sidney grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

Tom stood there staring at the fire burning and filled his glass with more brandy. He pushed away any feelings of guilt as he tried to reason with himself and justify his actions. The churning feeling in his stomach had not faded.

Sidney chose to take the long way home and strolled through the Sanditon gardens. He needed to cool off before seeing Arthur or Georgiana. He knew one of them would be home and start to pester him about the angry look that he knew was currently plastered across his face. He couldn’t understand how it was so easy for Tom to put his family in jeopardy without a second thought. Sidney had kept Charlotte away from him because of the harm he felt could come to her. If anyone had found him out and somehow tracked him back to her. He cared more about a woman he couldn’t even call his girlfriend more than Tom seemed to care about his wife of 20 years.

Sidney stopped and sat on a dark stone bench that had the name 'Isabella Parker' engraved on it. It was the bench they had installed shortly after their parents funeral. He took a deep breath as he soaked in the sight of the fountain. In the spring the garden would be filled with roses of every color, but now it was wrapped in the wintery cold and everything was gray. The fountain had been placed by his father as an anniversary present to their mother one year. It had a beautiful angel on it that had always brought her comfort. As he sat there he remembered how happy they all had been. His parents had a love he had always hoped to be blessed with himself. There were things he wish he could discuss with them now. He knew that when people leave your life unexpectedly there are always things left unsaid. Things you wish you could have said or words you had hoped to hear one day. He still had trouble letting those unspoken words go sometimes. This morning was one of those times.


	5. The Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the comments. I do really appreciate it. I really enjoy writing this story and it's nice to know people are reading it. Also, in my head I have cast Sam Claflin as Adam. Google him and look at the black and white photo for a visual aid. :)

Charlotte searched through her closet for something to wear, but nothing seemed appealing to her. She then remembered the sweater that Georgiana had bought her for Christmas. She found the gift box and opened it up with a smile. The sweater was red cashmere and very fashionable at the moment. Charlotte would never have splurged on something this nice for herself. She decided to pair it with some black pants that fit a tad bit tighter than she had remembered. The overindulgence of the holidays had apparently added a little to her hips, but she thought they looked even better than before. She threw her hair up into a messy bun with a few strands of hair framing her face. Her makeup was light and looked quite natural, but she decided to use a bold red lipstick she wore occasionally. The color almost matched her sweater perfectly. As she headed out the door, she grabbed a gold necklace off the table to finish her look. 

The walk from Traflagar House to the Stringer residence was only a few blocks. He had moved into one of the newer flats last year. His father had recently remarried and decided to retire in the countryside. He had had enough of seaside living, but James loved the coast and with the new opportunities and experience he could gain in Sanditon, he finally decided it was time to plant his own roots. 

Charlotte loved the walk to his place. There had been new trees planted to line the street in the summer. The trees were lit up with white lights that flickered slowly like fireflies. There were different shops on the bottom level of the apartment building and seven floors of various size flats. She pushed the buzzer to be let in and then proceeded to the top floor. 

"You look fabulous, Charlotte. Come in. Do you want something to drink? Wine, sparkling water, a beer?" James asked as they walked back to the kitchen. He was one of the main people that Charlotte trusted in her life. The two of them had been like the new kids in school who initially cling to each other out of desperation, but grow into a meaningful friendship that you know will last forever. They were kindred spirits who in some other lifetime may have been something more.

"Water for now. Thank you." Charlotte looked around the apartment. Their group of friends had been getting together once or twice a month for dinner, but the past couple of months had been skipped. Esther had been out of the country for a charity trip and with everyone else working hard to keep the resort opening on track there had been little time for socializing. "Is this a new picture of your dad? I never pictured him being one to relax long enough to have a garden." Charlotte ran her finger over the picture frame of Old Man Stringer smiling while holding up one of the biggest cucumbers she had ever seen. 

"Yes, he and Sharon overhauled their entire backyard and created their own sort of paradise. I didn't know how he would handle retirement, but it sure seems as though she has helped him with that." James put some bruschetta on a tray. "Do you mind putting this on the table?" 

Charlotte took the platter over to the dining room and set it in the middle of the dark wooden table. James was a splendid cook and had a delicious Italian spread laid out. As Charlotte's mouth started to water looking at the lasagna, the door buzzed. "I'll get that for you."

She heard Esther's laugh through the intercom and automatically allowed them in. Charlotte's thought suddenly went to Sidney realizing that he could be arriving with them. She didn't know if he would really come to dinner or not. He hadn’t hung out with the group that often before he left. His after work activities really revolved around her and a couple of friends, Crowe and Babs, which seemed to come down from London every other weekend. She then remembered Adam would be there too and the thought of both of them being in the same room made her queasy. 

Charlotte answered the door and let the group in. Esther, Fred Robinson, and his wife Sarah all walked in giggling. Fred was James' business partner and had also been his best friend since they were kids. There were also a couple of new employees, Randy and Brett, whom Charlotte didn't know that well. Just as Charlotte was about to shut the door a hand had stopped it. 

"Don't forget about me!" Adam Knightley yelled.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I didn't realize you were out there." Charlotte said feeling embarrassed that she had almost slammed the door on his hand. 

"No worries, Charlotte." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I meant to text you earlier and ask you if you wanted to walk over together, but I got wrapped up with some errands."

"That's okay." Charlotte smiled. Adam was a very handsome man who had relocated to Sanditon in the fall. He was an attorney who left a large law firm in Paris to open his own small practice in town. James and he had met at the gym almost immediately upon his arrival in town. James introduced Adam to Charlotte and she felt that was James' way of nudging her to start dating. Adam always made her laugh, and his thoughtfulness always impressed her. They initially had just hung out with their group of friends, but they had a few moments alone. They hadn't had their official first date yet. He had asked, but she had been honest with him that she just hadn't been ready to get involved with someone. Her feelings had changed last month when she decided there was no point in remaining miserable; she would give it a chance and see where this relationship could lead. Charlotte may have been inexperienced with love, but there was no doubt that Adam was smitten with her. "How was your trip back home?"

"It was great. There is nothing better than Christmas with your crazy family, right? I did miss you though." 

"I missed you too." She smiled at him as they walked over to get a drink. "I'm really happy you got to see them. I wish I could have gone home for Christmas. Sometimes I wish Alison lived next door, but then again I do like having the independence. I don't have to worry about the trouble she is getting into."

"Especially when you have your own to get into." He smirked as he handed her a glass of wine that he had poured for her. 

"I don't remember Charlotte being someone who got into trouble." Sidney's voice hit Charlotte like a lightning bolt. She had hoped nobody saw how quickly she had downed her wine.

"Trouble can mean different things to different people." Charlotte said awkwardly. Their eyes met as Sidney smiled at her. She couldn't believe the power that he had over her with just one look. She tried to check him out without being noticed. He looked clean cut and stylish as usual. He wore a dark gray sweater with black jeans that fit him well. She immediately thought of the moment when she surprised him in the gym. She had accidentally gone into the wrong locker room and found Sidney with only a towel on. She remembered his sculpted body and felt her face starting to turn red. It was infuriating to her that he could be so attractive. 

"Excuse me, we haven't been introduced. I am Sidney Parker." Sidney extended his hand to Adam who almost matched Sidney in height. Adam's green eyes peered at Sidney. It was as though he was sizing up his competition.

"Oh, the mysterious Sidney Parker." Adam gripped his hand tightly. "I have heard about you. I am Adam Knightley."

"It's nice to meet you, Adam." Sidney smiled slightly. Charlotte recognized the fake smile on Sidney's face and felt that this could end up being a long dinner. 

James announced that the food was ready and the dinner guests walked over to take their seats at the table. Sidney tried to seat himself next to Charlotte, but Adam had already pulled a chair out for her and positioned himself next to her. Sidney ended up seated next to Esther who was sitting directly across from Charlotte. Everyone else settled into the seats around them. 

"Welcome back, Sidney." Esther said in a way that was welcoming, but also somehow accusatory. Esther and Sidney had an unspoken understanding of one another. Both of them were a little bit of an outsider and standoffish, but were loyal and knew how to love deep.

"Thank you, Esther." He poured her a glass of water. "I heard you just recently got back from Africa."

"Yes, the Denham Trust donates to UNICEF and we were down there providing vaccines to some of the villages."

"That is noble work."

"It is satisfying and it makes me feel like I am making a difference. The kids down there just steal your heart. I'm lucky my aunt had patience with me and allowed me to find my own path. I know I drove her rather batty figuring out what I was going to do with my life." 

"I'm glad you found something. We should all be so lucky to find something so fulfilling." Sidney dished out some salad and looked across at Charlotte who had suddenly started laughing. Adam slightly bumped Charlotte's shoulder in a teasing manner and they both giggled at their inside joke. Sidney could feel his stomach turn and all he could think was that Adam was the reason she had forgiven him so easily. He couldn't really blame her if she had moved on, but in his mind this definitely wasn't right. He wanted to be the one making her laugh.

"Adam." Sidney broke into their conversation. "How long have you been in Sanditon?"

Charlotte looked over at Sidney and thought she saw a flash of anger in his eyes before they softened. She bit her lower lip nervously. The thoughts in her head whirled around and it was hard for her to focus. She started to doubt her decision to down that glass of wine so quickly. She had committed to being kind to Sidney, but not engaging with him too much while Adam was here. She didn't trust herself around Sidney and knew how fast she could be lost to him. Adam was a nice man and didn't deserve to be dragged into the mess that had become her and Sidney's relationship, if you even wanted to call it a relationship at this point.

"Just a little over four months." Adam replied. 

"And have you been enjoying your time here?"

"Oh, yes. I love Sanditon. Everyone has been very welcoming and you can't beat the views." Adam smiled at Charlotte as he responded. Sidney could see her blush and tried not to think too much of it, but the fact that it wasn't him that she was smiling at drove him mad. 

"Those views can change in an instant when storms arise." Sidney replied rather coldly. Charlotte shot a look at him that made him feel like he had hit a nerve. She felt as though that comment was really aimed at her. It made her feel like she didn't have the right to move on and at least try to place her affections elsewhere.

"Isn't it nice that we can be warned about upcoming storms in advance though? Imagine what it must have been like in the past to have some horrific storm destroy everything out of nowhere." Charlotte stared at Sidney. 

"Even meteorologists can be wrong and underestimate the level of devastation that can be caused. They can do their best predicting a storm's path, but nobody ever really knows the damage that can be done until it hits." He readjusted himself in his chair trying not to look as flustered as he felt inside. 

"Yes, but at least you have time to prepare. You aren't just blindsided when a wall of water hits you." Charlotte furrowed her brow.

"Some storms can arise out of nowhere." Sidney countered.

Esther could feel the tension starting to build as she watched Sidney and Charlotte glare at each other. "Oh, get a room." She whispered under her breath as she took another sip of wine. 

"Excuse me?" Adam asked perplexed. He didn't know what she had said, but James had heard her perfectly clear. He was pretty sure that Charlotte had also heard her since her face started to turn red.

"I never knew you two were so interested in the weather prediction." Fred piped up. "There was a good weather documentary I watched the other day. What was it called?" He looked towards Sarah for the answer.

"Fred! Don't you have some news you wanted to share?" James said thankfully as he tried to diffuse the situation. 

"Yes! Sarah and I just found out that we are expecting. There will be another Sanditon resident in about six months’ time." Fred's face was lit up with joy. "I am hoping for a little boy I can pass my hammer down to."

"Congratulations! That is fantastic news!" Adam said to the couple. 

"What a wonderful way to start the New Year." Esther smiled.

The dinner continued with only a few words spoken by Charlotte and Sidney. Sidney wished he had never accepted the invitation. Witnessing the interaction between Adam and Charlotte seemed like some type of torture he had thrust upon himself. He didn’t know what to think, and he knew the smiles he was forcing onto his face weren’t the greatest based on the looks Esther was giving him. He was a fool for thinking that no other man would realize what a treasure Charlotte was. Her beauty alone could challenge Helen of Troy, but Charlotte’s sweet spirit and wit could charm even the most hesitant of men. He knew that from experience. Charlotte made eye contact with him again and he could see the frustration on her face. Her mouth tightened softly and she nodded her head. He felt like he was being scolded and then he heard Adam’s loud and boisterous laugh. He had endured hearing enough about this guy's life and his accomplishments tonight, and Sidney realized at that moment he needed to leave in order to preserve his sanity. 

“I think I will be headed home early. I’ve got some reports to review and don’t want to be up too late.” He put his napkin on the table and stood up. “James, thank you for dinner. My brother should have hired you as a chef. It was delicious. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their evening.”

Charlotte could not believe that Sidney had the nerve to waltz into this dinner party, accuse her of being the one who changed, and then leave with no sort of apology. She watched him as he went to grab his coat.

“I hate to say it, but I should go as well.” Charlotte turned to James and gave him a hug. “I hate missing your chocolate lava cake, but I’ve been-“

“It's okay, Charlotte. There is no need for explanations. Thanks for coming.” James looked at her knowingly and then glanced around the dining room. “Now that we are all back in Sanditon we need to get back in our monthly dinner routine.”

"I agree with that. I've missed everyone's company." Esther said as she passed out clean spoons to the guests who were staying for cake. 

"Sidney, that includes you too. You are always welcome to join us. Let me pack you some dessert to go." James yelled as Sidney put on his scarf. Sidney smiled and nodded. Even though he was using reports as a way to leave the party, he really did have work to do and wouldn't mind having some cake and beer later. He waited by the door as he watched Charlotte gather her belongings. 

"Charlotte, I meant to ask before you go. Where did you get that necklace? I have been looking for a new crescent moon one. My last one broke." Sarah asked.

"Oh, it was a gift." Charlotte replied quickly. "Good night." Charlotte didn't want Sidney to leave without her and had no desire to get stuck in one of those lingering goodbye conversations. The conversations that start up when you are already resolved to leave a gathering and you end up staying another hour. 

Adam took the last drink of wine from his glass and got up from the table. "I guess this means I am heading out. Thanks for hosting. Next time we can do my place." Adam shook James' hand. "Good evening everyone. Esther, I'll see you tomorrow." 

Adam walked around the table to the Robinsons and offered his congratulations on their announcement again. "I got Charlotte's necklace in a shop in London. I'll find their information and text you. Have a good evening!" Adam smiled. Sidney stood there seething, forgetting all about James’ cake. Charlotte rolled her eyes at the frustration she was feeling. 

Charlotte, Sidney and Adam waited for the elevator together. Adam tried making small talk, but neither Sidney nor Charlotte was that responsive. They got in the elevator and rode it in silence. Sidney watched Charlotte as Adam checked his phone. The moment she started to look in his direction he changed his focus to the elevator buttons. Charlotte saw his jaw clench and could tell he wasn't happy. Neither was she. 

The elevator doors opened and they exited the building. Sidney immediately started walking away towards his house.

"Sidney! Wait!" Charlotte yelled at him. He stopped and turned back at her. "I will walk with you. Give me a second." 

Sidney nodded as he took out a cigarette and twirled it around in his fingers. The urge he had to light it up was immense.

"I hope you don't mind. I haven't seen Sidney that much since he got back. It's a short walk to Traflagar House." Charlotte smiled at him. 

"I had hoped that maybe we could spend some time alone tonight. I know you wanted to take things slow, but I thought it would be a little faster than a snail's pace." Adam looked over at a brooding Sidney. He was upset his plans for tonight at been foiled. "Why didn't you tell Sarah I bought you the necklace?"

"I'm sorry. I just didn't even think about it." Charlotte felt bad for lying, but she didn't want Sidney to know that she was in the beginnings of a new relationship. Feeling like that made her already feel like she was somehow betraying Adam even though they were not officially a 'thing' and she definitely wasn't in a relationship with Sidney, but ever since he returned her world had been upside down. It was like her rational mind was fighting her heart on a regular basis. "We'll plan something for this week. I promise."

“You’re forgiven.” Adam pulled her towards him. “I’m going to hold you to this. It’s about time we get our first date out of the way.”

Sidney watched as Adam kissed Charlotte's forehead and they parted. The urge to light the cigarette intensified. Charlotte marched over to Sidney and grabbed his arm to turn him in the direction they would be walking. They walked in silence for a block and then Charlotte abruptly stopped. She turned to make sure that Adam had left and then pushed Sidney into a small alleyway so they would not be seen. She was not one who liked fighting in the middle of the street like some insane woman you would see on television.

"What do you think you're doing?" She tried not to yell since it was late and she didn't want to wake up the town. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Sidney Parker, do not play stupid with me. You know we were not talking about the weather! What exactly did you expect from me? Am I just supposed to sit here and pine away for you? Should I dress in all black and walk the moors? This is on you not me."

"You're right. I should never have made that comment. It was out of line."

"It sure as hell was."

"Who exactly is this Adam guy? Is he your boyfriend?"

"Don't be a jerk! This isn't about Adam. This is about us."

"Us? Is there an 'us'? It looks more like there is an Adam and Charlotte. Are you dating him?"

"Not that it is any of your business at this point, but Adam is a friend. We are taking things slow."

"A friend who buys you jewelry? It sounds like he may be a little more into this relationship than you think."

"It was a 'thank you' gift for helping him find his new flat."

"A 'thank you' gift is more like a gift card to a coffee shop, not a fancy necklace. A guy who buys a woman jewelry is expecting a lot more than help with finding a flat."  
"Adam isn't like that."

"No, I would be a fool to assume that Mr. Adonis over here would have ulterior motives."

"I'm a grown woman! Maybe I want to feel needed and wanted by a good looking guy."

Charlotte could feel the anger starting to brew within her. Her breath started to get heavier. She took a step towards Sidney to close the gap that was there. All she wanted to do was hurt him at this moment. Make him feel as bad as she had. She felt tears of anger and hurt starting to well up in her eyes. 

Sidney couldn't help but feel horrible for pushing her. She was right, but if only she knew how much he needed and wanted her every day. The dreams he had of her in various states. Some dreams were innocent and consisted of her just sitting in a chair next to a window reading a book as the sunlight highlighted her brown hair. She would look over and smile at him sweetly. Other dreams were more explicit and didn't include any clothing. He wanted her, all of her, and he wanted her to want him too. 

"I don't want to fight, Charlotte. I know that showing up like this has disrupted your life. I don't really know what I expected. I just knew what I had hoped." Sidney said sadly.

"Sidney, that kiss may have just been a kiss to you. Some random moment we shared on a summer night, but for me it was so much more." A tear started running down her cheek. Sidney took the glove off of his hand and wiped the wetness off her face. The warmth of his hand on her face sent a current through her entire body. "You shattered me, Sidney."

Those words broke his heart. He had never fully known the depths of her feelings at the time. He knew how he felt and regretted that he had not made a move sooner. That entire year he regretted not telling her how much he loved her before he left. He had made up a scenario in his head that it was better that those words had been left unsaid, but standing here now he didn't know if that was still the case. 

"Charlotte, I have thought about that kiss every day." Sidney sighed as his face moved closer to hers. They just stood there in silence. Their foreheads touching as they wrapped their arms around each other. Both of their hearts pounding out of their chests. The cold breeze blowing through the alleyway. The only sound they could hear was the other breathing. Sidney wanted to wish away the past year. Wish away the hurt he had put them through. Charlotte longed to kiss him, but the hurt she been through had just started to heal. There were so many things she still didn't know. She couldn't allow herself to go back down this path. 

"Sidney, I can't do this." She didn't move. The words she spoke were sending a different message than her body. "I thought I could just forgive and start over. I can't. You hurt me badly. My instinct is telling me to forgive you and move on like nothing ever happened, but my heart can't right now."

Moving away from him was like trying to take two magnets apart. The pull towards him was so strong, but she had to make the decision based on her own preservation. "We're going to have to move on and keep this professional. I'm sorry." Charlotte looked up with tears in her eyes and suddenly bolted from the alleyway. 

Sidney stood there being swallowed by the sorrow he felt.


	6. Dark Was the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to start flashing back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I appreciate all your comments. I love reading them and I love writing this different type of modern take.

Summer 2018

“Well, I would rather walk everywhere. I mean the average person spends six months of their life waiting on a red light to turn green.” Charlotte said smiling as they continued their evening walk. “It seems like if you have the choice to walk that you should take it.”

“I love how you always have a random fact to share, Miss Heywood.” Sidney could listen to Charlotte talk all day. Her enthusiasm for knowledge and learning was very refreshing. Other women he had met seemed to be more into fashion or social media. He never knew what the topic of conversation would be and it kept him on his toes.

“That makes me sound like a teacher, but I can’t apologize for my love of reading. There are so many interesting stories and tidbits of information just waiting to be soaked up.” Charlotte was confident in who she was even if her feelings for Sidney made her insecure.

“You don’t need to apologize for anything. I was being sincere. I really do love the fascinating information you share with me. I didn’t know that some cats can be allergic to people. I know I can be though.” Sidney said laughing. Sidney didn't let people in easily, but he had a magnetism that could draw people to him.

“Stop acting like you aren’t a sociable person who loves helping out when you can.” Charlotte smiled as she glanced up at Sidney. “I see right through you, Mr. Parker.”

“Oh, you do?” Sidney gave Charlotte a nudge as he tilted his head.

Charlotte had suddenly stopped walking and turned around to see the lights of the town farther away than she expected. They may have been walking for longer than she realized, but time didn’t seem to exist when she was with him. It always seemed like the world and everything in it disappeared when they were together.

“I didn’t realize that we had walked this far. Do you want to go back? I know you have an early meeting.” Charlotte asked with a slight knot in her stomach hoping he would say no. Every minute she had with Sidney was a minute of bliss.

“I’m perfectly fine where I am. We could sit though.” Sidney plopped himself down into the soft sand pulling Charlotte down with him. The waves were softly breaking against the shore. It was such a beautiful night that Charlotte was shocked that nobody else was down by the water, but she was thankful for the emptiness of the beach. The sea breeze was still rather cold even in the middle of summer.

“Are you sure you don’t want your hoodie back? You shouldn’t have to be cold because I forgot mine.”

“I’m fine, plus I think you look better in it than I do.”

Charlotte could feel her cheeks redden as she wrapped herself up tighter in his dark blue hoodie. It was quite large for her smaller frame and she felt comforted by it. They both sat on the beach looking out at the moonlight reflecting on the water. Sidney leaned back in the sand and stared at the stars. It was a very clear night and the moon and stars illuminated Sidney's face. Charlotte stared at Sidney's chiseled jawline and the fullness of his lips. He turned towards her and grinned. Charlotte bit her lower lip and moved closer to him. Their legs touched and they both felt an energy run through their bodies. Charlotte had the urge to kiss him, but the nervousness she felt was profuse. They had become great friends and she knew this step would change everything forever, but she also knew that her feelings had grown from infatuation to something much deeper. He entered her thoughts all the time and she slowly realized all she had been caring about lately was his happiness and well-being. Now as he stared at her she came to the conclusion that she needed to take that leap.

Charlotte pressed into him and placed her lips on his. It was a light, chaste kiss that took her out of her comfort zone. She was unsure of his feelings and was anxious about his reaction. Sidney was in shock as his heart soared. The desire he had to kiss her had been tormenting him all night. The epiphany that he was in love with Charlotte had come to him earlier in the day. He had been staring at her during a meeting and the realization that he would do anything for her came over him. He would do everything in his power to keep her happy and safe. The way she had smiled at him across the table made him want to make everyone leave the room and ravish her right there.  
Charlotte pulled her face away from his and their eyes met. Both of them trying to convey a message that neither could yet say. Sidney cupped her face with his hands and drew her face to his. He kissed her with such passion that she could swear she would melt from the heat he was generating in her body. They sank into the sand as Sidney's hands ran down her back. Charlotte put her timid hands up his shirt and felt the warmth of his skin. She could feel his heart beating has she rest her hands on his firm chest. He pulled her so close she felt that she could be engulfed in him. 

Sidney had never experienced a kiss like this before and felt like he was in a dream that he never wanted to wake up from. Charlotte's body would quiver with every new spot on her that he touched. They both came up for a breath of air after a few minutes. 

"Sidney, I-" Charlotte breathed heavily. She didn't know what to say. Should she tell him how much she wanted him. All of him. 

"Charlotte, we don't have to discuss any of this right now." Sidney sensed her apprehension and squeezed her hand reassuringly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell her how strongly he felt for her. He had only told one other person that he had loved them before and upon reflection, the feelings he had for Charlotte were a lot stronger. She made him want to be a better person and he wanted to devote himself to her. "We should head back though. As much as I would rather stay here with you all night I need to be up early in the morning for that meeting." 

They both stood up and shook the sand off of them. She reached up and wiped some sand off his forehead. He placed his arm around her shoulders and they walked back in a peaceful silence. Both of them knew they were on the brink of something that comes along once in a lifetime. They finally reached the stone steps that led to the hotel lobby.  
"I need to go in and grab my jacket. I still have a few things to wrap up. Our walk took a little longer than I expected." Charlotte blushed. She started to take off his hoodie, but he stopped her.

"Keep it. You still have a bit of a way to walk." Sidney said. "I could wait for you."

"No, that's okay. I don't know how long I will be and I know you need to get home."

"I really enjoyed tonight, Charlotte." Sidney wanted to stay, but it was getting late. "I'll call you tomorrow and maybe we can get dinner?"

"That sounds very lovely." Charlotte smiled as Sidney leaned down and kissed her again. They held each other in an embrace for a little longer than both expected. He kissed her forehead and they said their goodbyes. Charlotte felt as though she was walking on air and everything around her was a blur. Sidney didn't remember the last time he had felt so happy. 

_____

Sidney arrived home to find all of the lights on and he suddenly felt a knot forming in his stomach. Sanditon was a safe town, but he knew he had left everything off when he had left. He opened the front door cautiously and saw Diana standing in the entry. 

"Sidney! I have been waiting for you to get back. There are some men here to see you." She whispered.

"Men?" Sidney asked.

"Yes, I came by looking for Arthur and I answered the door. They didn't tell me what they wanted, but it seems important." Diana had been sitting there waiting with the strangers who had shown up, but neither of them said much.

Sidney looked over towards the living room and saw the men in black suits. 

"You can go Diana. I will be fine." Sidney said as he opened the door for her. She looked worried as she left, but knew Sidney could take care of himself. He took a deep breath and headed to the living room.

"Hello gentlemen. Is there something I can help you with?" Sidney asked in a serious tone. He was utterly confused.

"Are you Sidney Parker?" The shorter bald man asked as he examined the photos in the room.

"Yes, and you are?" Sidney didn't like people touching any of his belongings and knew which photos he would need to move back into place.

"I am Officer Williams and this is Officer Marshall. We work for the National Crime Agency." The taller man stood and shook Sidney's hand. Both officers took a seat beside each other on the couch.

"Can I offer you guys a drink or do you want to get down to business and tell me why you are here?" 

Officer Marshall took out a notepad and pen as Sidney sat down in a chair. 

"Do you know an Eliza Campion?" Officer Marshall asked.

"I knew an Eliza Campion. Why?"

"Can you describe the nature of your relationship?"

"There is no relationship." Sidney started feeling perplexed, but he had an irksome feeling about this conversation. He had tried to wipe out every memory of Eliza, but somehow she would find a way to reemerge from whatever evil lair she was currently residing in.

"Please explain to us the history of your relationship."

"Eliza and I met at University. We dated for about a year and were engaged briefly and then I broke it off. I have seen her several times over the past few years, but only because of business she has with my brother, Tom. She is one of the investors in Sanditon. Typically, Tom deals with her."

"What was the reason for your breakup?" Officer Williams inquired as he studied Sidney's behavior.

"Is that why you are here?" Sidney started to feel tense and ran his fingers through his hair. "Eliza was the only one who knew the reason why I ended it."

"We just want to verify some information that has been reported to us. Can you confirm that you caught her embezzling money from the Campion's Children Charity?"

Sidney sighed. He had hoped this would never come back up, but he also believed that Eliza would eventually get what was coming to her. "Eliza's family ran a children's charity based out of London. Eliza was in charge of overseeing it. She knew once she left school that she would join the family business. They had different charities and corporations. One day she asked me if I could help audit some of the accounting because she was having issues with their current bookkeeper. Initially, I thought that they must have been taking the money, but when I told her what I found she didn't seem surprised. I thought it was odd and ended up finding an account only she had access to. I knew it had more money in it than was her allowance."

"What did she do when you confronted her about it?"

"She denied it, but when I showed her physical proof she admitted the truth. She felt that her actions were justified and that it was a victimless crime. We argued. To this day I don't know if she wanted me to find it or if she just thought I was too stupid to figure it out. In hindsight I realize that she doesn't think that much of men." Sidney remembered back to the night they broke up. All the reasons she gave to excuse her behavior. It made him sick to think he was so close to marrying a person with no moral compass. He felt like a fool for not seeing her flaws, but he had been enchanted by her world. She had a way of casting this spell over people and making people do what she wanted. He had felt lonely and lost when he had left Sanditon and she made him feel like he had a great future away from his past. Now looking back he knew that she was truly gifted in the art of manipulation. 

"And you didn't report it?"

"I tried to. I called. I got transferred around and then I just gave up. I know that isn't the answer you want to hear and if it happened today I would have been more persistent. I was young and just found out my fiance was a criminal. It was a confusing time." Sidney got up and grabbed himself a drink. His night had been going perfectly and now he was being dragged back into a past he would rather forget. "What does any of this have to do with right now?"

"There has been an ongoing international investigation involving the Campion family with Eliza being the main target. We are going to need you to come with us to London and get you on a flight to the U.S."

"Are you kidding me? The U.S.? I haven't been involved with Eliza in years. I don't know why you would need my help." Sidney started to lose his cool. 

"Eliza isn't the only tie you have to the crimes being committed. I would suggest you pack some minimal items so we can get on the road."

"Other ties?" Sidney's stomach dropped. He knew they were referring to Tom. He knew that Tom's involvement with Eliza wasn't the wisest, but had hoped that Tom wouldn't have been up to anything illegal. "And what if I refuse to cooperate? I don't think you have the right to just come into my house and take me against my will."

"It's in your best interest and your family's if you come now."

Sidney took a deep breath and chugged his drink.

"Let me just tell my family where I am headed and we can go. I expect I'll only be gone a few days?"

"You can text your family once more is explained, but right now just grab your things."


	7. Moving Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments you leave here and on the Facebook group. I love reading them. I am sorry this one took longer than I expected. Life....
> 
> Song referenced is Al Green "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart"

Charlotte awoke to the sound of the children playing. The pounding of their feet going up and down the stairs made her get out of bed earlier than she would have liked. She had a long day ahead of her though and was excited to finally move out of Traflagar house. Moving in with Georgiana and Arthur would be a fun and new adventure. They had been living in Sidney's house for some time and she always felt odd going over there when he was away. She had felt protective of his space, and seeing those two and the catastrophe they could make to the interior of his house made her cringe. Charlotte had convinced them that they should move. It would be good for a change and to have a place to call their own. Sidney's return ended up being timed pretty well. 

Just thinking of Sidney made her lose all common sense. She hadn't seen him for a few days and did her best not to go to the places she thought he could be, but according to Georgiana he had been keeping to his home office. The amount of confusion Charlotte felt in regards to Sidney was too much to think about, so at the moment she preferred to live in a state of avoidance. Avoiding the wave of emotions that had overwhelmed her the moment he returned. It was like a tornado had stirred up all the emotions she had tried to keep buried. That night in the alleyway had alarmed her. As she stood there longing to kiss him she knew that the love for him had never left. She wanted to be with him, but after the hurt he had put her through she just didn't think she could ever open herself up to him again. 

Then there was Adam, sweet Adam. He didn't ignite the fire within her like Sidney did, but he was a solid, decent man who had a way of making her feel special and appreciated. She felt safe with him. He was just good, maybe too good. She had been resolved to let him in and give him a chance before Sidney came back. Now all her thoughts were a befuddled mess. Charlotte tried putting both men out of her mind and decided to get ready.

Charlotte put her hair up into a messy bun and threw on a pair of sweats as she avoided the boxes around her room. Other than brushing her teeth, there was no need to put any thought or effort into her appearance. Even with the weather being colder outside she knew by the end of the day that she would be a mess from moving. 

Charlotte lazily descended the staircase and entered the kitchen. Tom was at the breakfast table reading the paper while Mary was cooking. The children had settled in the den and were watching television. 

"Good morning, Charlotte." Mary smiled cheerily. "Are you ready to get out of this noisy household?"

"I don't quite know how much peace and quiet there will be with Georgiana and Arthur, but I am looking forward to having a bit more space and my own bathroom." Charlotte said as she grabbed a banana off the counter. "I have appreciated you letting me stay here for so long."

Mary handed Charlotte a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs as she sat beside Tom. Tom was somewhat oblivious to the conversation going on around him as he sipped his own coffee. 

"We have loved having you here and we will miss you being around the house." Mary took a bite of her breakfast. "It will be nice for the three of you to have more freedom."

"Georgiana pretty much had her freedom since Sidney was gone, but I guess now that he is back it's a good thing she is moving out." Charlotte said.

"I love walking into a room just as someone says my name." Sidney walked in and automatically sat in the chair next to Charlotte and smiled at her. "Good morning."

"Don't get too full of yourself. I only said it once." Charlotte could tell he must have hopped out of the shower and come right over. His hair was still damp and he was sitting so close to her that she could smell the soap on his skin. She moved her chair back slightly. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Georgiana suggested that I come over and help you with your boxes."

"She did?" At that moment Charlotte wanted to strangle Georgiana. She had told her about the meeting in the alleyway and the conflicting emotions she was dealing with. She was confused as to why Georgiana would think Sidney's assistance would be welcomed by her and she was even more perplexed that Sidney would even come. "I don't need any help, but I appreciate the gesture."

"I didn't just do it for you, if that makes you feel any better.The sooner you are out of here means the sooner those two are out of my house. All hands on deck seems like a good plan." Sidney knew part of that was a lie. He had wanted to see Charlotte. The sadness he felt knowing they were not together in the way he wanted left him disheartened, but just being in her presence made him happier. How you could be sad and happy at the same time was puzzling. Charlotte just sat there drinking her coffee as she raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Well, I think it is nice you came over to help regardless of the motive." Mary chimed in. She could see that whatever these two thought was over between them definitely was not. "Tom, come help me with the children."

Tom's focus on the paper finally broken. "Ah, yes." Tom smiled sadly at the pair still sitting at the table and left the room with Mary, never acknowledging Sidney's presence. 

"How long has Tom been like that?" Sidney asked Charlotte.

"You mean stuck in his own head? A few days now. He hasn't been that talkative, but Mary hasn't seemed too concerned."

Sidney took a drink of his coffee and sighed. 

"As his brother I would assume you would know what is troubling him." Charlotte said as she stared at Sidney's face. She could tell he was worried. "I know I said that you and I need to keep our relationship work related, but Mary and Tom have become like family to me. If there is anything that I can do to help them please let me know."

"Nobody can help Tom at this point." Sidney replied solemnly. He looked at Charlotte's big doe eyes and for a second got lost in them. "As they say, we are free to choose our paths, but we can't choose the consequences that come from them." 

"What do you mean by that?" Charlotte had a sick feeling in her stomach suddenly. It was this nagging feeling that made her feel so bewildered when it came to Sidney. She had a suspicion that the reasons for Sidney's absence had still not been dealt with. "Why do I feel like a bomb is going to eventually be dropped on all of us?"

Sidney stood up and put the plate Tom had left on the table in the sink and changed the subject. "Why don't we get this move underway?"

Charlotte walked over to him and put her own dishes in the sink. The sunlight was coming through the small kitchen window over the sink as they stood facing each other. "Don't think I didn't see what you did there. Avoiding the question, but if you aren't going to worry about your own brother I will try not to either." 

Charlotte turned her back, walked to the other side of the kitchen, and opened a cabinet that was filled with coffee mugs of assorted shapes and sizes. 

"I didn't realize Tom and Mary had so many mugs." 

"Part of that may be my fault. It's kind of my thing and I started buying some for them." Charlotte attempted to reach up to one of the upper shelves, but even standing on her tippy toes she couldn't touch it. Sidney walked up behind her and leaned the front his body against the back of hers. 

"Let me get that." As he reached for the mug she was trying to get, she rotated her body beneath his so she was now facing him. His chest was less than an inch from her face has he leaned over her. The proximity of his body made hers start to pulsate. The effect he had on her was thrilling, but also infuriating. 

He stood in front of her without taking a step back and looked at the mug he had taken down. She took the blue mug from his hands quickly as she moved from in front of him. "It's my favorite one. I don't want to forget it." 

"Touch my coffee and I will bite you." He said reading the words on the cup. "Is that a promise?" 

The teasing manner in which he spoke made Charlotte not think clearly for a moment. She felt that he had to know the soul-stirring effect that he caused her. She took a deep breath and avoided his gaze. 

"Stop trying to be cute, Sidney." She said defiantly. 

"I don't have to try." He laughed with a desirous smirk. 

"Let's get upstairs and get this started." Charlotte realized her choice of words weren't the best for the current situation, but Sidney decided to let it go. There was a fine line he was walking right now and didn't want to make Charlotte upset. They ascended the stairs and she suddenly stopped and turned to him. "Work relationship, remember?" She said for her sake more than his. 

"Yes, ma'am."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she heard the front door open. Adam stood there smiling. Charlotte froze for a second forgetting that Adam had offered to come over and help her. She looked at Sidney as she moved around him and walked down the stairs to Adam. 

"I brought you a chocolate croissant. We all know how annoying moving is so why not start the day off with something delicious." She took the small bag from his hand as he kissed her cheek. 

"Thank you. That was very thoughtful of you." She smiled. Adam's focus shifted to Sidney whom he saw standing on the stairs. 

"Good morning, Sid. If I knew you would be here I would have brought you one too." Adam said.

"It's Sidney, and that's okay. I don't really do breakfast." Sidney didn't know why he was so surprised to see Mr. Adonis, but his presence irked him. "I'll go up and start bringing the boxes down." 

As Sidney walked up the stairs he glanced back and saw Adam take Charlotte's hand. He felt a rush of envy come over him. Charlotte had felt Sidney's eyes on her as he left, but she turned her attention towards Adam. 

"Thank you for coming to help. I really don't have much, so it shouldn't take long." 

"No worries." Adam said smiling at her. "I didn't know you already had help though."

"Honestly, I didn't either. Sidney showed up this morning. Apparently, he just wants Georgiana out of his house and the faster I get moved, the faster they get moved and he can be the man in charge of his castle once again." 

"That makes sense. The small amount that I know of Georgiana makes it seem like she is a handful to have around."

"That could be considered an understatement." Charlotte laughed as she led him upstairs. 

The unexpected trio emptied out Charlotte's room rather quickly and loaded up the truck that Adam had rented for her. Sidney didn't speak most of the morning and just listened to Adam and his nonstop talking. The man seemed nice enough and he could see why Charlotte would be attracted to him. In another world Sidney and he may have even been friends, but not in this one. Not as long as Adam had the ability to touch and kiss Charlotte. Even the rapport he had with Georgiana and Arthur throughout the morning had frustrated Sidney. 

Sidney was shocked by how many items Georgiana had acquired in his absence and thought of reducing her allowance. She wasn't being that productive with getting her things moved and was acting more like a dictator telling everyone where the furniture should go. Luckily, it had only taken several hours for them to all work together and get everything into the Tilney property. Moving was a tedious task that Sidney usually avoided at all costs, but in this case being near Charlotte and getting rid of Georgiana was worth the sacrifice. 

"I am going to go return the truck. Do you want to grab a bite to eat?" Adam asked Charlotte as Sidney walked by helping Georgiana with the last of her picture frames. 

"No, I want to get unpacked and settled." Charlotte said looking around at the disaster that was their living room.

"Do you want me to stay and help? I can." Adam asked.

"It's kind of you to offer, but I know you have things to do. I appreciate you coming at all. I think I am just going to pop in my AirPods and focus on getting this all done. I don't want to end up living out of a box."

"Okay. I do have a few phone calls to make. I am picking you up on Monday, right?" Adam said as he glanced over at Sidney feeling slightly unsure what role he played in Charlotte's life. Adam still didn't know every detail of Charlotte and Sidney's history, but knew something had to have happened there. A blind man could have seen that.

"Definitely. Be here at seven!" She smiled. She walked him to the door and watched him drive away. She shut the door, looked around and let out a deep sigh. She was happy to finally be in her new home. She walked upstairs to focus on getting all of her unpacking done.

The home on Tilney Place was three stories with Charlotte's room being a suite on the top floor. There was a corner window with a nice window bench and some built in shelves that would be a perfect place for her mini-library. She started to hang up her clothes and had other old clothes she needed to sort.

Sidney nervously knocked and entered her room. "Do you need help with anything?"

"You could put up the books over there, if you don't mind." Charlotte responded pointing to the couple of boxes of books she had. She felt slightly guilty as she accepted Sidney's offer after declining Adam's. 

"Not at all." Sidney quietly went to the corner and opened up the box. It was interesting to him to see the various subjects that Charlotted enjoyed reading about. "You want to put on some music. I know you work faster that way."

"You want to listen to anything in particular?" 

"Your room, your choice. Do you want your books in a certain order?"

"Nope, just on the shelves would be good." Charlotte smiled and put on a random playlist. 

They both worked without speaking and just enjoyed the presence of one another. There was an understanding between them that neither acknowledged. Charlotte glanced over at Sidney who was focused on putting away the books. She opened up her last box of older clothes and found herself staring at the hoodie Sidney had given her that night at the beach. She lifted it to her face and could swear she could still smell the sea breeze on it. It had been such a special night for her. 

"You still have my hoodie?" Sidney's voice broke into her thoughts.

"I think that technically it would be considered my hoodie now." 

Sidney walked over to her and took the hoodie from her hand and put it back in the box. "I kind of expected you to have burned it."

"No, but I did think about cleaning my toilet with it once." She laughed, but the smile on her face quickly faded. 

He felt himself pulled to her like he always was and took a step forward. He reached down and took her hand. He had expected her to pull away but instead she closed the space between them and put her head on his chest. He placed one hand on her lower back and the other on the side her head. They stood there in a moment of silence before Al Green's voice broke the silence. They both listened to the music and swayed slightly has they held each other. The words they couldn't say, due to circumstances and the past, hung in the air. 

They pulled apart and gazed longingly at each other. Sidney leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was criminal in nature and left them both with a yearning desire for more. His hand slid down her face as his fingertips grazed her neck and worked their way to her waist. He pulled her as close to him as physically possible as she gripped his back tightly. The room around them disappeared. The music disappeared. It was only them and their craving that they had for each other.

"Charlotte, I have a confession to make-" Sidney whispered.

"Not now, Sidney. Let's just have this moment."


	8. Walk Me Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks you for the comments I have received on Twitter about the different stories I have written. I appreciate it. I am sorry for the delay on this chapter. I planned on having it out sooner, but life happens. Have a great weekend!

The gusts of wind blowing off of the ocean waves were stronger than they had been in recent days. Some of the minor roof work that was underway had to be delayed until the weather maker had passed. Sidney sat in his home office looking out at his back courtyard. He laughed to himself as he saw the state his small garden was currently in. Georgiana and Arthur had not been great caretakers, but he figured once the spring came, he could liven it back up. Not that he would admit it to most, but he had picked this particular townhome because of the lot and the garden he could create. It always made him think of his mother and that gave him some peace.

He took a deep breath and focused back on the paperwork in front of him. He had spent the entire day trying to reorganize his office and sort through files. He found it all tedious and boring as he banged his pen against the desk. His thoughts spinning around in his head until they landed on Charlotte. Picturing her in his head took him to another place. The warmth of her body against his. The soft and slow way she would kiss him that turned him into a mad man. He felt like he could explode just thinking about it. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to finally have her in the way he had fantasized about almost every day. The curves of her body and the way her breasts would spill out of most of her shirts. He bit his bottom lip and let out a sigh.

“Sidney! There you are.” Mark Babington walked in his office. “I have been knocking on the door for the past minute or two.”

Sidney started shuffling his paperwork hoping that Babington wouldn’t notice the shade of red that his face had turned.

“What are you up to and why isn’t your front door locked?” Babington inquired. “I know Sanditon is safe, but I still would expect some type of precaution.”

“I must have forgotten to lock it when I came in last night.” Sidney hardly remembered coming home. 

“Last night? I thought your text said that you would be done moving by midafternoon.” Babington looked around the room before moving some old magazines off the couch and laying down.

“I was, but I kind of got wrapped up with Charlotte.”

“Wrapped up?” Babington grinned. He was fully aware of the feelings his friend had towards Charlotte even if Sidney himself could be blind at times. 

“I was helping her unpack and time slipped away from me.” Sidney felt ridiculously in love like a teen boy and couldn’t help but smile thinking about her. “She’s amazing.”

“Well, I know you think that. I knew it the moment you met her. Her name was constantly coming out of your mouth.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Did you know Charlotte likes philosophy? Did you know Charlotte likes hot chocolate with nutmeg? Did you know Charlotte had 5 goats growing up?” Babington laughed as he did the worst Sidney impression.

“I do not sound like that!” Sidney declared. “And it’s cinnamon not nutmeg.” 

“So, does she know?”

“Know what?”

“That you love her.”

“I was going to tell her yesterday, but she interrupted me.” Sidney sighed. “And there is another problem, Adam.”

“Who?”

“The new attorney in town. I don’t know if they are dating or what. I just know it needs to stop.” He didn’t know where the two of them stood. He knew that it wasn’t serious. Charlotte would not be kissing him like that if her feelings for Adam were anything serious. 

“I’m just pretty surprised that you didn’t make your move last night.”

“Well, you know Georgiana always has the worst timing.” Sidney rolled his eyes remembering her walking in on them kissing the night before. “She kind of killed the moment.”

“I hope you’ll get your chance soon.”

“Me too.” Sidney stretched. “Anyways, you aren’t here about my love life.”

“No, I just thought I would come up here and visit you instead of waiting for you to get back to London.” Babington had missed his friend’s company and also missed coming to Sanditon for other reasons. 

“If it was up to me, I would avoid London for the rest of my life.”

“Are you going to ever tell me where you actually went? I know you weren’t in London that entire time.”

“Eventually.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re here.” Babington got up from the couch. “Let’s go have dinner.”

———

“You look gorgeous, Charlotte.” Adam beamed as he looked her over. His heart skipping a beat as she smiled at him. He opened the car door for her. The coldness of his leather seat provided a shock to the back of her legs.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have worn a dress. It’s still too chilly out for it.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s only a short walk into the restaurant.” The drive to the restaurant was short and had the weather been better they could have walked.

“Thank you for the roses. They were very pretty.”

Adam just smiled as he reached over to hold her hand. Charlotte thought about the first time Sidney had taken her hand and the electricity she had felt. She immediately told herself to stop comparing the two men. It wasn’t fair to Adam or Sidney. She felt guilty since she knew at this point there was only one man for her. Had Sidney shown up six months from now, who knows maybe her feelings would have been different, but she doubted it. Sidney was the only man she could ever see herself with and he was here now. The feelings she tried to suppress were constantly emerging. She was so scared of having her heart broken again that she thought denial would be easy. Just deny the feelings and they would go away. Distract yourself with a handsome man and they would go away. Throw yourself into work and they would go away. The moment she was in Sidney’s arms she knew that nothing would ever go away. The spell she was under would never be lifted and she liked it.

They arrived at the seaside restaurant quickly and made their way to the table. Adam was very gentlemanly and pulled out her chair. They both ordered a glass of Pinot Noir to go with their fish entrees.

Adam started talking about his work and spoke vaguely about the few cases he was working on. As he spoke, she studied his face and thought about what a fine-looking man he was. His personality was lighthearted and fun. There were times she wondered if he had any worries in life. It was naive to think he didn’t, but he had an infectious positivity that she felt like he had been blessed in life. These traits are what attracted her to him in the beginning. She didn’t know if she should feel guilty for what their almost relationship had become. When they had met, she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, and she made that clear, but others had encouraged her to start having more fun. She had thought about the time she spent wasting away on the couch wondering if Sidney would ever walk through the door and realized that she did need to start getting out.

Adam was a friendly face that didn’t seem threatening. They had a casual relationship and mostly hung out with their mutual friends, but she knew that he wanted to take things further. She would be lying to herself if she hadn’t thought about it. She tried picturing what being with him would be like, but there were always a pair of dark eyes that would enter her thoughts. Dark eyes that seemed to know that her heart could never be anyone else’s. She didn’t know until Adam handed her the roses earlier in the evening, that she had to stop this.

“So, what do you think?” Adam asked.

“Sorry, what?” Charlotte realized she had been lost in her thoughts.

“Do you want to go to the Valentine’s party together? Didn’t you say it was going to be 90s themed?”

“Oh yes, it is. I have to work that night though. At least for some of it.”

“I hope these Parker brothers know how much you do for them.”

“The party was my idea and I want to make sure it is a success.” Charlotte said as they worked at finishing up the food on their plates. 

“I know. I just mean you are always going above and beyond for this resort, and Tom.” Adam had a way of getting to the point.

“I believe in the vision and future of Sanditon, so why wouldn’t I want to give it my all?” Charlotte suddenly felt herself getting defensive. The Parkers had become like family to her, but her defensiveness came from knowing he was partially right. The family like relationship could cause one to be used. 

“All I am saying is that your dedication should be admired since you aren’t personally going to reap the rewards.”

“I am not looking to be rewarded. I appreciate the experience I am getting.”

“I get that. I just don’t want to see you be taken advantage of.”

Charlotte took a long drink of her wine. She knew he was partly right. She always went out of her way to make sure things were done, even if it wasn’t in her job description. Many times, her ideas would become Tom’s, but she felt like that was just how it all worked in these types of settings. 

“Speaking of the Parker brothers. Sidney just walked in.” Adam said as he gritted his teeth ever so slightly, but Charlotte noticed. “Can I ask you something?”

Charlotte tried to fight the urge to look in Sidney’s direction, but she could feel his eyes on her. It always amazed her by how much she could feel his presence. 

“Anything.” She smiled nervously.

“Were you involved with him?”

“I wouldn’t say we were involved.” Charlotte glanced over in Sidney’s direction and watched as he was seated at a table with Babington. Sidney looked as handsome as ever in his white button up shirt and dark gray pants. “It’s complicated.”

“So, you did have romantic feelings for him?”

“Yes.” Charlotte could feel her face turning red. “Honestly, Adam, I still do.” She blurted out knowing that he deserved honesty. 

Adam sat there looking at her for a moment and then downed the rest of the alcohol in his glass. Charlotte could see a look of disappointment wash over his face. She knew their relationship wasn’t serious, but she had been in a situation where she had hoped for a future that hadn’t come to fruition. 

“I guess I should have asked if you were currently involved.” His tone was bitter but didn’t sound surprised. 

“Adam, I am not involved with him. It’s complicated.”

“You have been acting different lately and there was that dinner at James’s. There was something that didn’t seem right between the two of you.” Adam could see Sidney staring at Charlotte as the waiters took away their plates. “You keep saying it is complicated, but it really isn’t. You either want to be with him or you don’t. It’s clear what he wants. Every time I catch him looking at you he seems to want to devour you.”

“I am sorry, truly, but I didn’t expect any of this. I never had any intention to lead you on. I think you are wonderful.”

“Please don’t do the whole ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ line.”

“But it is. I went into this hoping that I could open my heart to you.”

“Charlotte, I am sure you believe that, but I don’t know if it’s true. I was patient with this whole relationship because I had been told that you had been hurt in the past. I knew you would be worth the wait. I just wish you could have been more honest especially when he came back. Life is short and nobody needs to be wasting their time on something that isn’t going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry. I really am.”

They sat there silently as their wine glasses were refilled. Adam wiping the thoughts of the future he had just started imagining from his mind. A waiter approached the table.

“Excuse me. One of our guests sent this over.” The waiter said as he sat down a piece of rich chocolate cake.

“What is this?” Charlotte asked. 

“It’s our top selling dessert. Our Death by Chocolate cake.” The waiter replied as he sat two forks down. Charlotte watched as Adam threw his hands up.

“That guy is something else. I guess it is better this all came out now before I fell more in love with you.” Adam looked beaten and Charlotte reached for his hand which he immediately pulled back. “I expect that you already have a way home, or do you want me to take you?”

“You don’t have to. I don’t even know why you would ask after all of this.”

“My mother didn’t raise a jerk.” Adam said as he stood as he left some cash on the table. “Goodbye, Charlotte. I’ll see you around.”

Charlotte sat there alone staring at the cake and decided to take a bite. The cake was the most delicious that she had ever tasted, and the chocolate frosting melted in her mouth. She felt horrible for Adam, but he was right, this wasn’t complicated. She knew what she wanted and as it turned out he was walking to her table.

“Do you like the cake?” Sidney asked as he sat himself down.

“You are insufferable sometimes.” Charlotte said as she took another bite. Part of her wanted to be mad at Sidney. She didn’t like hurting the feelings of good people.

“I was just being nice. I know how much you love chocolate. Where did your date go?”

“He left.”

“I take it he doesn’t like chocolate or is it that he doesn’t like the competition.” Sidney smirked. 

“You and I both know that there is no competition.” Charlotte took a deep breath as they held each other’s gaze. “And now he knows that.”

Sidney’s suddenly felt a delightful nervousness in his stomach and smiled at her. She looked exquisite in the restaurant candlelight and all he wanted to do was take her home. He wanted to ravish her all night and kiss every inch of her body.

“The rain has let up. Do you mind if I walk you home?” He asked.

“Not at all, but what about Babington?”

“He’s a big boy and I suspect he has other things on his mind.” Sidney replied as they both looked across the room and saw Babington enthralled by whatever it was that Esther was currently saying to him. Charlotte had not seen Esther come in, but considering the conversation she just had that was understandable.

Sidney put Charlotte’s jacket on her as they stepped outside and turned towards Tilney Place.

“I probably look like a floozy going in there with one man and leaving with another.” Charlotte said, shaking her head.

“Everyone is too self-involved to notice with whom anybody is arriving with or leaving.” Sidney barely paid attention to where he was walking as he focused on Charlotte. “I am sorry if I caused you any stress. I really didn’t mean to.”

“You only caused a little.” Charlotte slipped her hand in his and pulled him closer to her. They could both feel the magnetism between them. They walked in silence, appreciating the stillness of the town after the rain. The smell of the salty sea and rain mixed into a heavenly fragrance they both loved. Sidney leaned over and kissed her head as they reached the door to her home. Charlotte turned towards Sidney and smiled shyly.

“Sidney, all I really want right now is to invite you inside.” Charlotte thought about what it would be like to sleep in his arms amongst other things. 

“I feel like there is a ‘but’ coming.”

“But I don’t think I am quite ready for that.... yet.” Charlotte knew they couldn’t fast track their relationship. Not after his disappearance and the emotional rollercoaster that it caused. It was time to take a breath and work on rebuilding the trust between them.

“Yet? So, does this mean what I hope it means?”

“It means we can give this a try. I still have questions that I want answered.”

“Charlotte, I will give you all the answers I can and that will be soon.” Sidney’s breathing started to get heavier. “Charlotte, I need to tell you something.”

“Yes?”

“I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment we met and there hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. That I haven’t longed for you.” Sidney felt as though one of the weights had been lifted from his shoulders. “I wanted to tell you that night we first kissed, but I didn’t want to scare you off.”

Charlotte was shocked by the tsunami of emotions that hit her. She hadn’t been crazy thinking there had been more to their relationship. The validation that he felt the same way she had brought tears to her eyes.

“I could never be scared off, Sidney Parker. You’re the keeper of my heart.”


	9. Autumn in New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for your comments here and on Facebook. I love reading them. Also, shout out to the Sidlotte Fanfic Club that inspired me to start writing again after a tough week.

Fall 2018

Autumn in New York had always been something Sidney had longed to experience. The leaves changing colors and the bustling of the city. When he was younger he had seen pictures of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and even though it was an American holiday, the floats always fascinated him. He had romanticized the city as a child, but once he hit adulthood he hadn’t made it there. He had traveled to some places in Europe that were typical vacation spots, but due to his obligations to his family and his focus on work, he never made it to New York. 

Now here he was standing near Rockefeller Center drinking a coffee. Unfortunately, there was no joy in this visit. He had been there only a few days to accompany Eliza Campion on a business trip. The past couple of months had been a whirlwind. After the unexpected visit from Officers Williams and Marshall, he had been whisked to London and interrogated further about what he knew about Eliza. They also questioned him about the funding of Sanditon. He felt like he didn’t know too much about either, but the department seemed very eager to use the information that he did share. He had hoped that everything would be wrapped up and he would be sent along his way, but after two days of being monitored they finally revealed why they really needed him.

He knew Tom could make poor decisions and be irresponsible at times. Tom always had a strong desire to be known. He wanted to be praised for being a great creator and to build upon what their father had started. The desire made Tom take shortcuts one too many times. Sidney always knew that Tom walked a fine line with ethics, but never imagined he would actually break the law. When the detectives started mentioning ‘wire fraud’ and ‘mail fraud’ Sidney’s head began to spin. Then they brought up Eliza’s name and the relationship that they believe Tom and she had. Eliza had invested a decent amount of money in the new resort that Tom was building and the detectives believed that those funds came from an international money laundering scheme that Eliza had devised. The other alleged crimes they told him about he couldn’t even wrap his mind around.

Sidney had been shocked by the information provided to him, but almost fell off his chair when they told him what they needed from him. If he agreed to obtain further information regarding Eliza Campion and the crimes being committed within her organization, they would be lenient with any sentencing that may come down on his brother. They believed that based on Sidney and Eliza’s past relationship that it would be easier for him to infiltrate her company. Sidney wasn’t so sure about their idea, but felt like he had to help Tom. He thought that it would be what his parents wanted. The only concern he had was for the safety of those he loved. He was scared of getting involved with people who engage in criminal activities, but knowing that others could be hurt worried him more than anything else. They had warned him about some of Eliza’s associates prior to him agreeing to help them. He knew he was taking a chance, but knew he had an obligation to his family. 

He was surprised by how fast Eliza allowed him in her organization. He had assumed that she would be harder to access especially given their past, but it appeared she still had a soft spot for him all these years later. They met again at a black tie party in London that was filled with financial experts, businessmen, and other members of higher society. The fakeness of their smiles and insincerity of their speeches caused Sidney to despise them. Eliza saw him from across the room and approached him as though no time had passed between them. They eased into conversation and before he knew it, she was introducing him to people around the room and by then end of the night she was inviting him to visit her office. It seemed as though everything was falling into place and he had hoped all of this would be over as soon as it began. When the photographer appeared he tried to avoid having a photo taken, but Eliza grabbed hold of his arm and he knew it was a part that he had to play. He smiled hesitantly. It wasn’t until he saw the photo in the paper that he remembered Charlotte also read that section every morning. It made his heart hurt slightly. The urge to text Charlotte overcame him, but he knew for her safety and the investigation that he needed to stay away from her for now. 

He could hear the fake laughter nearby and knew Eliza must be on her way over. The way she tried to work her magic on people and the empty promises she made weighed on him. Not all of the businesses she dealt with were disreputable and Sidney didn’t know the consequences for them, should her whole empire come crashing down. 

“Sidney!” Eliza yelled. He looked at her rushing up the sidewalk.

“Eliza, here you are. Right on time as usual.” Sidney greeted her. 

“Oh Sidney, you know I am always punctual. I’m shocked you don’t remember that.” Eliza grabbed the coffee from his hand, took a sip and then handed the cup back to him. 

“No, I haven’t forgotten. As I recall, you reminded me of my tardiness quite often.” Sidney replied. 

“That’s true. I was surprised that you were here early.”

“I’ve learned to prioritize.” Sidney said as he threw away his coffee. ”Anyways, do you expect your morning meetings to take long?”

“You seem like you are in a rush all the time. You should learn to enjoy yourself, Sidney. We have been attending the best parties. We have been successful with our meetings.” She said in her annoyed voice. “You should know that the more successful we are with finding the right places to put the company’s funds, the more money we will make, and the more we make, the more I can invest in your brother’s little town.”

“I am sure at this point Tom isn’t in need of more funds.” Sidney tried to smile. “He has seemed to have gotten his accounting under control.”

“No doubt he has.” Eliza said. “I mean he has taken most of the advice I have given him.”

“I am sure he has.” Sidney replied wondering what advice she had given him. Besides somehow convincing him to do things he shouldn’t. 

Eliza stopped in front of a perfume shop. She looked through the window and then suddenly grabbed Sidney’s arm. He shuddered at her touch. He had been lucky that she hadn’t pushed to rekindle any romantic relationship at this point, but in the back of his mind he was horrified that she may. 

“Sidney, I’ve been meaning to say something to you.” She sighed and rubbed his arm. “I know we didn’t part on good terms. I was wrapped up in a behavior that I just couldn’t control. I was so eager to have things I believed I deserved that I took advantage of others and I ruined our relationship in the process.”

“Eliza, it was a long time ago. We don’t need to talk about it.”

“I just wanted to tell you that after the words you said to me that day, I stopped. I ended the whole scheme and even paid back the money I had stolen. I haven’t even thought of doing anything of that nature again. All because of you.” She smiled. There it was, the proof that she was still the same old lying Eliza. He knew she always said the things that she thought people wanted to hear and it looked like that still hadn’t changed, but why would it. 

“It’s all water under the bridge.” Sidney faked a smile. “You were young. Let’s just focus on our current professional future.”

Eliza nodded and walked into the shop. “This should just be a minute. My friend owns the place and I just want to say hello.”

They both walked in and Sidney was immediately overwhelmed by the various scents in the air. He watched as Eliza walked to the back of the shop and started speaking with an older woman. Sidney wandered aimlessly around the store until he came upon a bottle that looked vaguely familiar. He picked it up. 

“Is there something I can help you with?” A nice young redhead asked. 

“No, I was just looking.”

“Well, you picked up a lovely scent. It is a mix of Tuscan lavender with a hint of vanilla.” The woman said as she sprayed a bit of perfume on a white stick. She held it up towards Sidney’s nose. “It is a light scent. I am sure your girlfriend or wife would enjoy.”

Sidney smelled the perfume and immediately was transported back to Charlotte’s office. He had remembered one night while they were working late together. She had made a joke about the office smelling too much like a doctor’s office and took out a small bottle from her purse. She sprayed the office before spritzing herself. The aroma slowly took over the entire room. 

“My friend, Charlotte, loves that scent.” He said giving his first genuine smile in months. “She always carries a bottle around with her.”

“Who is Charlotte?” Eliza asked. She had finished her discussion with the shop owner. 

“Just an employee of Tom’s.”

“An employee whose perfume you remember?” Eliza questioned as she eyed him.

“It’s hard to forget someone who doesn’t know when to stop putting on perfume.” Sidney said. He didn’t want Charlotte’s name to ever cross Eliza’s again. “You should remember how much I complained about people who wear too much cologne or perfume.”

“Yes, I forgot your aversion to strong smells.” 

They parted the shop and walked down the street in silence on their way to their scheduled meeting. Sidney had wished he never mentioned Charlotte’s name, but it was hard whenever she was constantly in his thoughts. He wondered how she was doing. He felt that he was wasting his time here in New York. There had been nothing that Sidney had uncovered to help move along the investigation. He knew that in the states the FBI were involved and felt they could do a better job than he could. He had been told to keep up this charade and be patient. They had hoped that eventually he could work his way into her accounting records. He had no idea how that could be, but knew he had to try. All he had learned during this time so far was some various company names and a couple of new contacts Eliza had in the U.S.

“Charlotte Heywood.” The name pierced his thoughts. 

“Excuse me.” Sidney said. 

“That’s her name, right? The employee?” Eliza asked with a flat tone. 

Sidney didn’t know how to respond. 

“I have heard Tom speak highly of her. I just didn’t know you were associated with her.” Eliza said in a jealous tone. She then picked up the pace and started walking ahead of him. Sidney had experienced this type of behavior before. Eliza could was always the jealous type whether it was in romantic relationships, friendships, or just things in life. 

A tidal wave of worry came over him. He had been concerned about Charlotte’s well-being when he first got involved in this mess. At the time, he was worried that if he was ever found out, that associates of Eliza may harm those that he loved. He was now more concerned that Charlotte was on Eliza’s radar. The anger he felt at Tom and Eliza increased tenfold in that moment. All he wanted to do was get on a plane, fly home, and beg Charlotte for forgiveness. 

The first week that he was in London there had been many missed calls from Charlotte. Texts that he received that went unanswered. There were many times he had wanted to answer, but he couldn’t lie to her and tell her that he felt nothing. He couldn’t lie to her and act like everything was okay. It would never be okay without her by his side. There was absolutely no way he could tell her the truth since he didn’t know the consequences of doing that. He chose to avoid it. Avoid her.

“Come on, Sidney!” Eliza voice shrieked once again. Sidney did not know how he had ever loved this woman.


	10. Opening Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this one. Stay safe out there!

The next week seemed to fly by for Sidney and Charlotte. They were both busy with different aspects of the resort grand opening. Charlotte was double checking all the food orders and confirming the bands that were booked for the weekend. She had to ensure that they had the items needed to meet their rider. She also had to oversee the décor. Sidney had gotten wrapped back up in handling some management duties and some of the accounting. He had been cutting checks and confirming payments had been received.   
The two of them had been on each other’s minds constantly, but unfortunately, the physical contact had been lacking. They had tried to steal a few moments alone, but there had always been some type of interruption. Charlotte was thrilled that today was a slower day. There was nothing more they were obliged to do. Tomorrow night was the resort opening and the fruits of their hard work were now out of their hands. The resort would either be a hit or not. 

It was almost noon and Charlotte was sitting in the coffee shop, grabbing a quick bite to eat before she walked back down to the beach. Sidney was in a meeting with Tom and running late. She looked out the window and marveled at the town. All the Christmas and New Year décor had been replaced by some festive Valentine’s Day decorations. The front windows of the shops that lined Main Street had a great deal of red hearts and cupids. She loved the holidays and appreciated how enthusiastic all of the shop owners were when she had suggested decorating for the different holidays throughout the year. She thought it would be a charming addition to the town. 

Charlotte was feeling impatient and her need to have some moments alone with Sidney was astounding. She sat at the table with her legs crossed. She had put on one of her favorite dresses. She initially thought it could be a little too much for a casual lunch date, but considering the lack of time she had spent with Sidney recently, she wanted to give it her all. The dress was white with a scoop neckline that was lower than she usually wore. There was a small amount of black lace that bordered her chest and a small red ribbon in the front. She thought that it suited the upcoming holiday perfectly. 

She saw Sidney walking up the street towards the café. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other as he made his way inside. He walked towards her wearing his long black pea coat, black slacks and black button up shirt. It was at times like this when she looked at him and had to remind herself to breathe. She stood to greet him. His hand touching her upper arm right below her white sleeves. He kissed her cheek and after she sat back down, he took the seat beside her.

“Are you trying to kill me, Charlotte?” Sidney leaned over and whispered in her ear. She could feel herself turning red as he looked her up and down. 

“Now what would I get out of that?” She kissed him softly on the lips. The amount of happiness she felt when he was around was stimulating. “Do you want me to order you anything?”

“No, I am good for the moment.” He said staring at her. He felt under a spell when he looked at her, but it wasn't just some lustful urge that commanded his body. He wanted to give her the world.

"Good." She smiled. She placed her free hand on his knee. The touch made his leg move slightly. "How was your meeting with Tom?"

"Just the usual, he did a lot of talking and I did a lot of listening." He sighed. "Honestly, there wasn't anything to even meet about. I know it just boosts his ego to talk about the future success of the resort."

"That doesn't sound like too much fun." 

"It definitely is not. Especially when I could have spent the morning with my hot girlfriend."

Charlotte blushed, moved closer to Sidney and kissed him again. 

"As much as I would have loved to have spent the morning with you, it's good you spent the morning with Tom. You're a great brother, Sidney. I'm sure Tom appreciated it, even if you think his motives may have been more self-serving." 

"I've made my fair share of mistakes-"

"Oh, I never said you were a saint. I just said you were a great brother." Charlotte took the last sip of her coffee. "I'm sure that having a brother such as Tom can be challenging sometimes."

"That's quite the understatement." Sidney replied thinking of all the obstacles that occurred in his life because of Tom. Sidney loved his brother, but the underlying hurt that he had due to his oblivious nature had made Sidney feel bitter. "I was thinking that I would meet you at the party tonight, if you don't mind? I know we were going to head over together, but I have a surprise for later."

"A surprise? What kind of surprise? Do I need to plan at all for it?"

"Just wear something comfortable." Sidney noticed that Charlotte's coffee was empty. "Do you want another coffee?"

"Yes, please." 

Charlotte watched as Sidney walked up to the counter and stood in line. The coffee shop wasn't usually busy this time of day, but it did seem that more visitors had arrived. There were several people in front of Sidney. Charlotte glanced at her phone as she waited and saw that Georgiana had texted her stating that she would be arriving at the party later. She had booked a last minute hair and nail appointment. She also said there was a box of clothing she thinks she left at Sidney's. She said she needed a dress for tonight. 

When Charlotte looked back up she saw Sidney talking to Adam. She hadn't even heard the doorbell jingle. There was a slight uneasiness that came over her seeing them together. Adam had that bright smile plastered on his face and she could see that Sidney was barely tolerating whatever it was that Adam was telling him. Charlotte knew she was probably overreacting. She had told Sidney that the relationship with Adam was not serious and had not gotten physical. The few times she had thought about having some fun, she felt like she was betraying Sidney. At the time she thought the hold he had on her was ridiculous, but now that he was back she understood it more. He was her person and there was nobody she would ever be with but him. The couple of relationships she had been in before she met him didn't come close to what she felt now. She also couldn't remember ever wanting a man physically as much as she wanted Sidney. There was a part of her that thought the taking it slow approach was too much, but he still hadn't explained where he had been. She hadn't pressured him, but knew they needed to confront that before she could give herself to him fully. 

Sidney's conversation with Adam had ended and he waited on his order. Adam had gotten his coffee quicker, which wasn't a shock since he always ordered it black. He waved at her and left. 

"I don't want to sound like some crazy boyfriend who is jealous of your ex." Sidney said as he sat back down. "But there is something about that guy. At first I thought it was just because he was with you, but now I realize I just don't like him."

"Adam? He's harmless." Charlotte said as she blew lightly on her new cup of coffee. 

"What do you know about him?"

"Enough to know that he is a nice guy." Charlotte noticed the concerned expression on Sidney's face. "Honestly, Sidney, he is fine."

"You may be right. I do get suspicious easily."

"Tell me something I don't know." She laughed.  
__________

The evening came quickly. Charlotte searched through her clothes for something comfortable, but sexy. Before they left their lunch Sidney had told her to wear her leather jacket. She didn't know what he was up to, but took heed to his instructions. She put on a pair of her favorite hip hugger jeans that had a few holes in them and then threw on her translucent white shirt over her black bra. She had found some black Doc Martins at a small vintage shop. The theme for the night was "The 90s" and she felt that her look definitely fit that. She kept her hair down and slightly messy. She felt like she could have been in an Aerosmith video from that decade. The leather jacket went perfectly with the ensemble. 

The temperature was unseasonably warm. There was still a chilliness in the air, but one that could be tolerated. The leather jacket kept her very warm as she walked to the party. She could see the searchlights were already on beckoning all that could see it to the celebration. The night was clear and inviting. Charlotte was excited to see the amount of cars lined up on the streets. She knew that must mean the parking lot was full, which was a great sign. 

The club was all lit up and the crowd was already pretty big for it being only eight in the evening. Everything was supposed to officially kick off at nine, but she wanted to get there a little earlier to make sure that everything was in order. She saw James as she walked in. He was dressed in a white tank top with white baggy pants. He even had a white jacket and fedora on. 

"Let me guess" Charlotte laughed. "Did you go with a boy band look?"

"Backstreet Boys to be exact, Charlotte." James replied smiling. "I'm shocked you didn't know that."

"You know I am more of a rock type of girl. Where are the rest of your boys?"

"Funny story, Fred told me that he and some other employees would be completing my group, but he forgot. Now I get to walk around sticking out of like a sore thumb." 

Charlotte looked around and noticed that those guests who had arrived so far seemed to have been aiming for more of the 90s grunge or hip hop looks instead of the late 90s boy band attire. 

"There is always a girl out there who still holds a space in her heart for her favorite boy band member. Maybe you'll get lucky." She laughed and they walked over to the bar. "This all looks really great. Do you know what the occupancy is at right now?"

"The hotel itself is booked at ninety percent, which is spectacular for this time of year. I know we took a risk opening a beach resort in the winter, but people love their getaways. All the tickets to the party have sold out."

"That is fantastic!" Charlotte examined the bar menu. "Have you had a drink yet?"

"I can't say that I have." James replied as the bartender walked over. 

"Can I get an 'Oops I Did it Again' and this handsome fellow will have an 'I Want it That Way'" Charlotte looked at James. "It will match your outfit." 

"Thanks for that."

"Anything for a friend."

"So, where is Sidney?"

"He should be here soon."

"How is that going?" James asked looking curiously at Charlotte. "It seems good based on the expression that has been plastered on your face."

"To be honest, we haven't had that much time together yet. This week has been so hectic. I have the next few days off, so I am hoping for some quality time."

"And for him to tell you what he has been up to the past year?" James raised his eye brow and took a drink.

"Yes, that too. We can't really move into serious relationship territory until he comes clean. I'm in this for the long haul. I hope he can see that."

"I have no doubt he does. He would be a fool to mess this up again, Charlotte."

"Do you think I'm a fool for going down this path again?"

"Not at all. I've always wanted you to follow your heart." James placed his arm around her. "You're like a sister to me and I just want you happy. I will say if I ever need to kick his ass for you, I will."

"You won't."

"I know that." He smiled. "I just wanted you to know that."

Charlotte and James stood there observing the crowd. They talked for awhile about work related issues. The small details they would have tweaked. The DJ was playing a variety of 90s jams and with every minute more people were entering the club. They both felt proud that their ideas and diligent work had brought forth such a great atmosphere. Charlotte suddenly saw Sidney walking through the crowd. He stood out in the crowd with his slightly curly brown hair and devilish smile that was currently being aimed in her direction.   
"Hey there." He said as he gave her a quick kiss.

"You didn't get the memo that this was a 90s themed party?" She asked as she examined his choice of clothing. He was wearing his go to dark denim jeans and a black shirt under a biker jacket. He looked extremely attractive, but she couldn't help but tease him. 

"Are you suggesting I should have showed up dressed like a Backstreet Boy?" Sidney said as he looked at James shaking his head. "Sorry man." 

"Not as sorry as I am." James laughed. "I accept my role for the evening." 

"You two did an amazing job with the place." Sidney complimented them as he turned to order a drink from the bar. 

"Not too shabby at all." Esther said as she appeared from nowhere. The ladies greeted each other "How are you lot doing this evening?"

"Fantastic." Charlotte responded enthusiastically. "Have you seen Georgiana yet?"

"I didn't see her when I was walking in. I am sure she and Arthur are somewhere around here living it up." Esther replied as she inspected the crowd. 

"She did tell me that she would be running behind. I just assumed it wouldn't be too late." Charlotte said.

"Let's move this gathering to the lounge." James said. 

"To the lounge? I just got here." Esther responded. 

"They have the same drinks over there. This place is going to get pretty crowded soon and we all know that none of us really enjoy large groups." James answered.

"You are right about that." Charlotte said as Sidney slipped his arm around her waist. She really would have preferred to be a party of two at the moment, but knew it wouldn't be appropriate to leave so soon. "Come on, let's go over there."

The group made their way to the smaller lounge that had a bar and stage. There were booths circling the room that gave it an old school Las Vegas vibe. It had a more casual and laid back feeling which was more to Charlotte's speed. The club had been getting hot and overwhelming. The amount of people in the lounge was minimal. The friends found an open booth towards the front of the stage. There was some woman currently attempting her best to belt our "I Will Survive". Charlotte removed her jacket and placed it next to her beside her purse. She felt Sidney's hand on her thigh as she tried to close the small distance between them. 

"You look amazing. Are you channeling your inner 90s video vixen?" Sidney said.

"Something like that."

"It suits you well. A little too well. I don't know how you expect me to sit here calmly all night."

"I could say the same thing about you. Daring to walk in here like some hot biker babe." Charlotte smirked at him.

"Like a hot biker babe? I am a hot biker babe." Sidney laughed.

"My humble hot biker babe." Charlotte teased and started kissing him. 

"Ugh...You guys are insufferable." Esther sighed. "I didn't come here to watch you two make googly eyes and make out all night. Let's sing, Charlotte."

"I think I'm good right now." Charlotte replied. She loved karaoke, but performing in front of Sidney didn't sound that appealing right now. 

"Come on. We always do. Don't be embarrassed that your boyfriend is here. From what I hear he is a pretty good singer too." Esther said as she pulled Charlotte from the table. "I'll pick the song."

Charlotte grabbed a microphone as she jumped on stage. Esther joined her shortly after telling the DJ what song to play. The first few notes to Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' started to play. Charlotte looked at Sidney and rolled her eyes. She felt silly, but decided to let loose and give it her all. Sidney watched Charlotte as she danced and gyrated on stage. All his attention was focused on her. The spotlights on the stage illuminating her gorgeous features. The small beauty marks she had on her chest and neck seemed more noticeable. He thought about how he wanted to kiss every one of them. He felt himself getting turned on and adjusted his himself in the booth. The song seemed to last longer than he had remembered, but everything seemed to move in slow motion as he admired her. 

The song ended and she made her way back to him. She took a drink of water that was at the table and then turned to look at him. He placed his hand on the back her neck, slowly moving it into her hair as he pulled her face towards him. He kissed her more passionately than he usually did in public places. She could feel her lower extremities start to melt away as their tongues lightly touched. 

"Sidney." She whispered as she motioned to their friends. Gently reminding him that they were not alone. 

"Let's go." He said. 

"We just got here."

"Who cares? We've waited long enough. We can see these guys later." He stated. Charlotte could see the silent plea in his eyes and felt the same.   
Charlotte suddenly turned to her friends.

"We are leaving. If you see Georgie, tell her I will text her later." Charlotte said has she put her jacket on. Sidney stood up behind her and placed his hand in hers. 

"Good night!" Sidney said to the group as they departed.

"Well, James, looks like I win." Esther smiled and placed her hand out to James. "I told you they would only make it one song."  
_____

Charlotte and Sidney made their way out of the resort halls down the street to where some cars were parked. The night seemed slightly chillier than it had been when Charlotte had entered the club.

"Where are we going?" Charlotte inquired.

"Your surprise." Sidney responded as he led her to a motorcycle that was parked on a side street.

"What is this, Sidney Parker?" Charlotte exclaimed. 

"You had said before that you always wanted to ride one, so I thought we could go on a ride. We could mark something off of that bucket list of yours." Sidney smiled as Charlotte jumped into his arms very excitedly. 

"Thank you!"

Sidney helped Charlotte place the helmet on her head and then put on his own. They climbed on the bike and Charlotte pressed the front of her body to his. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. They made their way slowly out of town and came to the coastal highway. The moment they hit the highway Sidney increased the speed significantly and she grasped him even tighter. The feeling was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. She could feel the adrenaline starting to rush through her body. The only light around them was the moon and stars. Her body had gone into some state of hyper-awareness and the amount of trust she realized she had in Sidney was apparent. She let out a deep breath to appreciate all the sensations she was currently feeling. 

They rode for about thirty minutes before Sidney turned the motorcycle around and headed back to town. They ended up at Charlotte's house and dismounted the motorcycle. Charlotte took Sidney's hand without saying a word and let him inside. 

"Are you sure Charlotte?" He asked, breathing heavily. 

"Definitely."

They made their way to Charlotte's room and Charlotte closed the door behind them. She took off her jacket and threw it to the ground. 

"It's been a very long time since I have done this." Charlotte said.

"Me too." Sidney replied.

They stared at each other for a brief moment before Sidney cupped her face with both of his hands and started kissing her deep and hard. He was like a man who had been dying of thirst and had finally been given a drink of cool water. The want and desperation he had for her touch was killing him. She pushed him onto the bed and straddled him before removing his jacket. Her hair draped his face as she kissed his neck. Her hot breath on his neck making every inch of him break out in goosebumps. She sat up still straddling him as he ripped off her white shirt.

"Sorry" He whispered. 

"Don't worry. I'll get another one." She said as she helped him take off his shirt. She stared at him lying there. His bodily form seemed to be sculpted by God. She brushed her hands over his pectoral muscles and as her fingertips touched his nipples he jerked. There was an electric current that went straight to his nether regions and made him want to ravage her at that very second. He wrapped his arms around her and flipped her on her back and began to lightly kiss her stomach. He removed her jeans to reveal her black lace underwear. He took the top part of her underwear and pulled on it with his teeth. The inner pulsating need she felt for him intensified. The tip of his tongue moved up her lower abdomen to her chest. He brought his face to meet hers. They made eye contact has he pushed the hair out of her face.

"You're beautiful." He smiled sweetly at her. "I love you, Charlotte."

"I love you, Sidney" Charlotte said as she pulled her head up to kiss him. As her hands moved to his pants.

Suddenly there was a banging on the door. 

"Sidney! Charlotte!" Arthur's voice pierced through the door. 

"What is it, man?" Sidney yelled.

"It's Georgiana!"

Sidney jumped up and ran to the door. 

"What are you talking about?" Sidney asked. Suddenly his mind was spinning. 

"We have been trying to call both of you." Arthur stated as Charlotte searched for her phone and realized she had missed twenty five calls. "She was attacked."

"Attacked?" Charlotte felt numb. "How can than be?"

"I don't have all the details. The police are at your house now." Arthur said to Sidney.

"My house? What was she doing there?" Sidney inquired as he pulled his black shirt over him. 

"She said she had to go by and grab a box from your place. She had texted me about it." Charlotte said as she grabbed a t-shirt from her closet. 

"We have to go." Sidney looked at Charlotte. "I don't want you leaving my side." 

"What is going on Sidney?" Charlotte asked. For the first time ever, she saw a look of terror on his face. 

"I promise Charlotte that I will tell you everything. I first need to make sure Georgiana is okay." Sidney pulled her towards him and kissed her head.


	11. Sad Night in London

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad that this is the next chapter considering what we are all currently going through, but I have to continue my story the way I originally set out to. I am sorry for the delay. I was enjoying writing my other Sidlotte story since it was such a great distraction. I love writing a happy Sidlotte. It was hard for me to jump back into this, when right now I just want everything to be full of love and fluff. In order to get to that part in this story, we have to go through some hard times. I am going to warn you that this chapter does have a medical emergency situation in it. I hope nobody gets triggered by this and I promise happier days are coming. Stay well! Thanks again for reading.

Sidney’s head was spinning as he and Charlotte rushed back to his house. The ambulance had just left as they arrived at the residence. His entire house had been taped off and the crime scene unit was taking photos of the broken glass outside.

“What happened?” Sidney yelled. “How is Georgiana?”

“Is this your house, sir?” A detective asked. 

“Yes, I’m Sidney Parker and this is my house.” He couldn’t believe the scene that was playing out around him, but it had been something that he had feared could happen. He looked at Charlotte who was still in shock. 

“You need to come with me, alone.” The detective ordered. Sidney looked at Charlotte and didn’t want to let go of her hand. She felt him squeeze it tighter and smiled gently at him. 

“It is okay, Sidney. There are police everywhere and Arthur will stay with me.” Charlotte glanced to her side. “Won’t you, Arthur?”

“Definitely. She won’t leave my side, Sid.” Arthur assured him. Sidney kissed Charlotte’s cheek and walked to the other side of the residence near his back gate. He could tell it had been damaged. 

“Who is Georgiana Lambe to you?”

“I oversee her trust fund until she turns 25. I was asked to look after her when her father passed away. She has no other family. How bad is she?” Sidney asked as he ran both his hands through his hair. The detective ignored his question.

“Do you know what she was doing in your house this evening?” 

“She had recently moved out, but still had a house key. There were a few boxes she still had here. My girlfriend said that she had mentioned that she was going to come by here and grab an outfit for tonight’s party.”

“Did you hear from her at all recently?”

“Not today. I spoke to her briefly yesterday, but we have all been rather busy with the resort opening. Georgiana is a free bird and does as she pleases. I don’t think much of it if I don’t hear from her.”

“We believe that sometime this evening Georgiana had entered the premises using her key. There had been some struggle in your office and it appears she ran upstairs. At that point the assailant followed her and hit her in the head with an unknown object. At this time we believe the assailant pushed her down the stairs in an attempt to make it look accidental.” The detective stated. “You have a broken side gate over here and it looks like they entered through your garden. Your office window is broken. We think she surprised whoever was in your office.”

Sidney felt dizzy as he tried to process what had happened to Georgiana. He was also trying to remember what items he had in his office. It seemed as though his nightmare had come to life. He glanced towards Charlotte as the detective continued to talk, but all the words he was saying started to blend together. 

Charlotte looked at Sidney and wanted to rush over and comfort him. He looked so distraught and she still hadn’t been provided with any details about Georgiana. 

“Oh Arthur, I can’t really believe this is happening. Did you see her?” Charlotte felt like she could throw up. 

“No, they think she had dialed emergency services before the actual attack happened. They got here too late.” Arthur wiped his face. “I need to get to the hospital.”

“I am sure that is where we are headed once Sidney is done here. You can ride with us.” Charlotte patted Arthur’s arm trying to keep him calm. She knew that Arthur and Georgiana had formed a special bond. The worry Charlotte felt was becoming too much to bear as she tried to hold back tears. She knew she would have to be strong for everyone involved at the moment. She stood there saying a silent prayer for Georgiana. Sidney finally made his way back to Arthur and Charlotte and instantly took Charlotte’s hand again. It provided a small comfort to each of them. 

“We have to get to the hospital. From what I understand she has a serious head injury. They are going to assess her, but I doubt the local hospital will be able to provide the treatment she needs. They’ll probably transfer her to London.” Sidney explained. “We need to go now. The police will be here for some time processing the scene. I texted Tom and he will be able to help them as much as I can.”

Charlotte just nodded in agreement and motioned to Arthur to come on. They all jumped in Sidney’s Range Rover and headed to the Sanditon Medical Center. They didn’t have a trauma center and Sidney was concerned knowing how dire the situation was. Charlotte and Sidney jumped out of the car while Arthur took it around to park. Sidney found the doctor who was on call and they informed him that Georgiana was going to be airlifted to a trauma center in London. The helicopter should be here any minute. They were able to stabilize her, but she would need a proper CT scan to find out the extent of the damage. Sidney took a deep breath as guilt started to rise in him. He should never have agreed to help the authorities. His gut was telling him that this was connected somehow. Sanditon had a very low crime rate and it seemed suspect that his house would be broken into soon after his return. 

“I’ll drive.” Charlotte said.

“Drive?” He questioned. This was all happening fast and he was trying to figure out how this could have happened. 

“Yes, I can drive and you can rest. You’ll need to be in a clear state of mind when they question you further.” Charlotte said. She hugged Sidney tight. “This will be okay, Sidney.” He wasn’t so sure about that, but appreciated the words she spoke. He kissed her forehead and they headed towards the car. Arthur had been waiting beside it, too nervous to come in. 

“We’re going to London.” Charlotte told Arthur. He turned and climbed in the backseat.

Charlotte drove as fast as she could praying with every mile that they wouldn’t get pulled over and that Georgiana would be okay. Arthur had fallen asleep in the backseat pretty quickly. Sidney just stared out the window for some time. She didn’t want to prod him and could feel the tension he was feeling. All she wanted to do was hold him and it hurt her that she couldn’t at the moment.

____________

Sidney dozed off for a while, but when they made it to the edge of the city Charlotte nudged him awake. She had never been to the Parker’s London residence before and had no idea where she was going. They had planned on dropping Arthur off. There was not much he could do at the moment and someone needed to get sleep this night. Sidney gave her directions and the home was something she would have pictured them owning. They said their goodbyes to Arthur and headed directly to the hospital. 

The sterile smell of the hospital hit Charlotte as she walked through the sliding doors. Sidney immediately went to the nurse’s desk and were led to a small room off the main hall. They sat down in the cold room and waited for the doctor to enter. Sidney let out a deep breath and rubbed his forehead.

“Charlotte,” he sighed “if anything happens to her this will be all my fault.” 

“You can’t say that, Sidney,” Charlotte walked over and hugged him tightly. “You didn’t know she would be there and you definitely didn’t expect someone would break into your house.”

“It’s the break in that is troubling me. I don’t think it was random.” Sidney said as he pulled away from her. 

“What do you mean you don’t think it was random?” Charlotte asked as a look of confusion came over her. 

“There have been many things that have gone on this past year. Dangerous things-“Sidney was cut off due to the doctor walking in. He was slightly relieved because he knew that this was not the place to have this overdue conversation. 

“Hello, I’m Dr. Ridge.” He held his hand out for Sidney to shake before advising them both to take a seat. “Georgiana is in critical, but stable condition. She suffered a few broken ribs from the fall along with a broken arm, but unfortunately,  that isn’t our biggest concern. She had been hit with something hard prior to the fall. We did a CT scan and she has an acute subdural hematoma.”

Sidney couldn’t feel his legs. He and Georgiana had not always gotten along well, but he always had her best interest at heart. She had become like a little sister to him over the past few years. The thought of her being defenseless in his house was too much to think about. The guilt started to eat at him and he couldn’t think clearly. Charlotte’s voice broke through the rambling thoughts in his head.

“Forgive me, but what exactly does that mean? I am assuming it is a brain bleed.”

“Yes, with this type of injury there are blood vessels that tear. It usually happens in cases of assault like this.” Dr. Ridge took a breath before finishing. “Injuries like this are fatal in about 50% of the cases. She is young and that can work in her favor, but you need to know that the next few days are critical.”

“Can we see her?” Sidney finally asked. 

“Visiting hours are over, but I can allow you to come in for a quick moment.” 

They all stood up and the doctor led them to Georgiana’s room. The sight of her almost made Charlotte tear up immediately. She walked over and took the hand of her friend. Sidney stood on the other side and gently rubbed her head. 

“I will give you two a moment,” the doctor said as he left the room.

“Georgie, it’s Charlotte. I know you can hear me. We don’t have too long here and I just want to tell you that we love you. You got this.” She could feel her face starting to burn as she held back her tears. She stepped to the corner of the room to give Sidney a private moment. As she looked at the man that she loved, she could see how broken he truly was. When he returned something had been lying under his cool demeanor. She had felt that it had been the guilt he carried for leaving town. Looking at him now she could see that there was something more to this. She watched him carefully touch Georgiana like she was made of glass. He had whispered something in her ear that Charlotte couldn’t hear.

A nurse came in to tell them that the doctor had another emergency to attend to and that they needed to come back during visiting hours the next day. As they walked to the parking lot Sidney took the keys from Charlotte’s hand. They were both emotionally exhausted and tired. The night had felt like it lasted a decade and Charlotte knew the sun would probably be rising soon.

She looked out the window and watched the houses go by. After several minutes she realized they were not headed back to Bedford Place.

“Where are we going?” Charlotte asked. “This doesn’t look like the way we came.”

“We’re going to my flat.” Sidney replied.

“I didn’t know you had a flat in London.”

“I’ve had it for about eight months now.”

Charlotte felt a lump form in her throat as she continued to look out the window. She knew he had been in London at some point when he was gone, but didn’t realize he has actually been this close the entire time. She could feel tears start to fall silently down her cheeks. She felt like she was being bombarded with every emotion imaginable. The concern and worry for Georgiana was overwhelming and Sidney’s confession of living in London brought back some of the hurt she felt when he left. She took a deep breath and let it out before wiping the tears away. She didn’t know what to say. She was very tired and didn’t need to say something foolish.

Sidney could feel that the energy in the car shifted once he told her about the flat. He didn’t know where to start.

“I’m taking you to the flat because nobody knows I own it. It’s under a different name and nobody will find us there.” Sidney said in a serious manner. “Arthur is fine at Bedford Place. I know I may be acting a bit paranoid, but it’s the only place I have any chance of sleeping. I need to know you are okay.”

“Sidney, you’re scaring me.” Charlotte looked at him, tears still in her eyes. “Who is after you?”

Sidney just glanced over at her with a serious expression on his face. He took a right turn down a small street that led to an underground parking garage. The entry was gated and Sidney had to let them through with a key fob. The car didn’t stop until they got down to one of the lower parking levels. The place was definitely more secure than his family home. Every door required another swipe of the key fob, including the elevator. They made it up to his flat that was on the 15 th floor. 

As they entered, Charlotte took in every detail of his home. The first thing she noticed was how it didn’t actually feel like a home. It was almost empty and felt rather cold. There was a black modern couch, a treadmill that faced the city and TV stand. The coffee table looked like it was from IKEA. There were no real personal touches anywhere. There were no pictures on the grey walls and he had no small décor items that you would expect to see at someone’s home. She knew that even bachelors have some type of style they like. She saw a few old magazines on the counter. 

“I’m sorry, Charlotte.” Sidney’s voice echoed slightly in the almost empty room. “I think I only have a few beers and water. I ordered take out most nights.”

It made Charlotte feel even sadder than she already was to picture Sidney alone here. She tried to force a smile. 

“It’s very late. I am not hungry at all, but a glass of water would be nice.” Charlotte replied as she set her purse down next to the mail on the counter. It was all ads and nothing of substance. Nothing that had Sidney’s name on it. She watched as Sidney took a glass out of the cupboard and filled it. She thanked him as he handed it to her. The cool water felt good on her dry throat. The night had gone completely differently than she had expected and she felt like she was in another world now. Nothing seemed real to her at the moment and she felt like curling up in bed. 

“Do you happen to have something I could sleep in?” She asked, suddenly realizing that she really should have grabbed something before they left Sanditon. Her mind had been set on Georgiana and she didn’t even think past getting to the hospital. 

“Come with me.” Sidney said as he led her into his bedroom. The room wasn’t much different than his living room. There were two small dressers and a king size bed. It looked like a generic hotel room that you would find in any modern hotel in London. The only difference was the one photo by the bedside. She recognized it as the group photo they had taken during a team building day at the beach. Tom and Mary had come down to support the staff and James had told them to group together for a photo. It ended up really being a photo of the Parker family with Charlotte front and center. She examined it as Sidney searched his closet. She was standing next to Sidney. He had his arm around her shoulders and had a huge smile on his face. 

She remembered when they took the photo that she tried to stand as close to him as possible. He hadn’t seemed to mind now that she was looking back at it, but she had been so nervous at the time. Her infatuation had already been growing into something more. 

“Here you go.” Sidney interrupted her memories. “I kept a few t-shirts here. This one should be big enough to work as a nightgown.”

She went into the bathroom and took off her clothes. She threw Sidney’s t-shirt on and had a warm feeling run through her. The t-shirt covered her backside just enough and she didn’t know if she should have asked Sidney if he had some type of old gym shorts lying around. She folded her clothes neatly and placed them on a small stand in the bathroom. 

Charlotte walked out of the bathroom and stood by the bed. Sidney had already put on a plain white undershirt and had stripped down to his boxer briefs. It was still quite shocking for her to see him in this state, but there was also a familiarity about it. 

“I could sleep on the couch, if you wanted me to. You could have the bed.” Sidney said. 

“Sidney, don’t be ridiculous. A few hours ago we were on the verge of having sex, I think I can handle sleeping with you.” Charlotte gave him her first real smile since Georgiana’s accident. 

They both climbed into bed together and Sidney turned out the light. The lights of the city were shining into the bedroom. It would be dawn soon and Charlotte was completely exhausted. The moment her head hit the pillow, she allowed the rest of her body to sink into the bed. She looked over at Sidney who was staring up at the ceiling. He let out a deep sigh. She could tell by looking at him that he had the weight of the world on his chest. She moved closer to him and put her head on the nook of his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her. She looked up towards him and could feel his heart beating quickly. He kissed her head and took the hand from his free arm and intertwined his hand with hers. 

“Charlotte” Sidney said in almost a whisper. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Sidney.” Charlotte said, knowing he was about to say more. 

“I didn’t contact you for the past year because I was concerned that what just happened to Georgiana, might happen to you.” Charlotte was quiet and just listened. “After our first kiss on the beach, I came home to find detectives in my home. They made me come with them to London due to some business dealings that Tom had with Eliza Campion. They had confiscated my phone while they interrogated me about what I knew about the finances of Tom’s projects.”

“Finances? I know Eliza has contributed quite a bit to the new resort.” Charlotte said as her stomach started to drop.

“I ended up being a confidential informant. I was wired and told to get information on Eliza’s company.”

“I don’t understand why you would do that.” Charlotte felt confused. 

“I had a prior relationship with Eliza. They felt it would be easier for me to regain her trust again, especially since she already had dealings with my brother. The dealings they had were not entirely legal. They offered leniency towards Tom in exchange for my cooperation.” Sidney squeezed her hand tightly. “I wanted to text you or call you, but I didn’t know what to say and honestly I was a coward. I was sure that if I heard your voice I would have left the whole situation behind and let Tom deal with it, but I couldn’t do that to Mary.”

Charlotte could feel tears forming in her eyes. She had been so mad at him for so long. She herself had been conflicted. She couldn’t believe that Sidney would have just left like that, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation other than she just wasn’t good enough. 

“I thought you didn’t want me.” She quietly cried. 

“Want you, Charlotte? I have wanted you every day since I met you. It was just these damn circumstances.” He clenched his jaw angrily. “I swear I could kill Tom.”

“So were you just in London this entire time?”

“No, I had to travel. I had a phone I would use specifically for family communication. I didn’t want anything to be found out by Eliza.” Sidney let out a deep breath. “I didn’t want her to ever find out about you.”

“Tom committed the crimes he has been accused of out of foolishness. He has never known when to stop.” Sidney paused before continuing. “Eliza is different. She gets satisfaction out of seeing people suffer. I don’t know when she turned into the person she is now, but she has done things that I never could have imagined. She tells people what to do in this subtle manner that makes her think she won’t get caught, but I got the proof they needed. They have had a couple of delays issuing the arrest warrants, and the problem is I think she may know that I was the informant.”

“And you think she could harm somebody you love?”

“I have no doubt that she is capable of it.”

“You think she did this to Georgiana?”

“I don’t think she meant to do it to Georgiana.”


	12. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments on the last chapter! I hope you all are in good health. Better days are ahead.

January 2019

The autumn days crept by more slowly than Sidney would have liked, and as the season turned to winter his mood grew darker. The holiday season had been much harder on him than he expected. He had hoped by this point Eliza would have given him enough evidence to end this charade, but her unscrupulous nature had been developed quite well. She knew exactly how to get things done without getting her hands dirty. He had noticed that there were only a few people whom she let get close to her, and they appeared to be at her beck and call. They were all men that seemed to have fallen under her spell because the only women she ever employed were in lower positions and rarely around her.

He didn’t expect anything less of her. Eliza had always been very jealous, even when they dated in college. Sidney had always been loyal in all of his relationships, romantic or otherwise. There would be an anger that he could see wash over her in an instant, if any other girl looked his way. There were also the few female relationships that she had that all seemed to end suddenly. At the time he didn’t think much of it, but now that he was older he realized how it was all about control for her. She knew how easy it was for men to obey her and how threatened she would feel when other women were around. She had wrongly assumed that Sidney could be counted among those men who would listen to her every command. Sidney had reached his Eliza tolerance level and didn’t know how much longer he could go on with this charade.

Sidney missed his family more than he thought was possible, but most of all he missed his dear Charlotte. What would she think of him? The thought plagued Sidney constantly, but he had to try and push it out of his mind. He had to focus on the task at hand which at the moment meant another meeting to attend with Eliza. He always went down his mental checklist to make sure all was in order and that his wire was in place. He had grown accustomed to it, but it always made him nervous especially when Eliza would get too close to him.

There was a knock at his door, and there she was smiling that wicked smile of hers. Luckily, there was no time for her to come in, which was something he always tried to avoid. They took their normal route downtown and headed to the offices of a real estate developer named Steven Johnson. Eliza was trying to acquire some old houses on the coast of Maine. She wanted to develop her own beach resort. They had convinced a few of the owners to sell, but there was one that was holding out. She knew once she bought it that she would be able to convince the town to let her build whatever she fancied. Everything came down to money, and she had a decent amount to spare.

“Honestly, the old man is sentimental. He doesn’t want to give up the house.” Steven said as they all sat around the conference room table.

“How much have you offered him?” Eliza asked pointedly.

“Triple the market value. He will not budge. He has lived there for over sixty years. It was the house he and his wife bought right after they were married. They raised their kids there. He doesn’t want to see it torn down.” Johnson replied.

“It sounds like you are on his side.”

“I’m not Eliza, but when older people are stuck on something you can’t really do much.”

Eliza sat there with an irritated look on her face. She picked up her phone and flipped through some texts before coming back to the conversation.

“Does he have anyone living with him or taking care of him?”

“No, he is alone. His kids live in New Hampshire from what I understand.”

“That’s a shame. I am assuming he must be in good health to be all by himself. Typically, people of that age need someone to look after them.” Eliza faked concern.

“He is pretty active for his age, but does take some medications for some heart issues.” Steven said.

“How do you know so much about this man?” Sidney chimed in. “Seems like he told you a lot considering you are a stranger trying to buy his house.”

“Sidney, that isn’t of your concern.” Eliza cut him off.

“You should know that Eliza always wants us to find out everything about the people whom we are dealing with. It makes it easy to find where their weak spots are.” Steven replied to Sidney pointedly.

“I was just reading recently that some older people have had issues with being prescribed too many medications.” Eliza said to Steven.

“Yeah,” Steven looked confused.

“I don’t think I would want my father to be living alone like that. I mean who knows when he could accidentally take too much of the wrong drug.” Eliza said as she took a sip of tea, her eyes locked on Steven’s.

“Yes, I understand what you mean.” Steven replied and he nodded.

Sidney felt as though he was missing something, but Eliza changed the subject and started talking about other projects. He had a strange feeling about this interaction, especially with the abrupt way the conversation ended. He knew Eliza was stuck on this house and the ease that she moved onto other things was frightening.

__________

A couple of weeks later Sidney learned that the old man had passed away. Eliza flew up to Maine and pounced on the house quickly. The man’s children had been easily tempted by the dollar amount that had been offered to them. Sidney was saddened by the lack of care the children had shown, but he knew that money effected people strangely. The other thing that weighed heavily on him was how convenient it was that the man had suddenly died. He couldn’t help but think of the meeting they all attended and the words that had been spoken.

Sidney thought he was being paranoid, but he decided to call the detectives about the odd coincidence. They had told him they would look into it. They also advised him that he needed to stick with the task at hand, and right now that was trying to obtain more information about Eliza’s offshore accounts. Over the past few months, he had seen Eliza threaten people, and he was present the couple of times that her associates had chosen to use physical violence to get their point across. Sidney felt like he was in over his head and just wanted out of this trying situation he had found himself in. Every day brought new challenges and made him think there must have been something wrong with him in order for him to ever find Eliza appealing.

The days and nights in New York lingered on, but as the winter turned to spring, and spring to summer, the more Eliza’s trust in Sidney grew. Eliza started adding more responsibilities to Sidney’s job duty, and soon she had him transferring all their physical files to hard drives, and before long he was able to see the full extent of Eliza’s financial interests. He learned that Eliza had money coming from various projects and companies. She had woven a very intricate web of fraudulent activities along with some legitimate businesses that appeared to operate legally. The non-profit organizations she had started were even harder to decipher because of the public donations coming from many sources. There appeared to be money coming from fraudulent activities in the real estate market, the pharmaceutical industry, and even some money coming from South America, which made him assume she had dealings with the drug trade. Sidney’s anxiety increased with every new deposit he found. It seemed to him that Eliza treated these illegal trades as her own version of the stock market, investing in everything she could.

One evening he came across the name Sanditon, LLC and his heart dropped. He had obviously been made aware that Tom was being accused of money laundering, but seeing the proof that he was involved was a hard pill to swallow. He never thought his brother could act so brazenly. He had knowingly taken her dirty money and used it help build the Sanditon resort. He also had helped her invest it in a couple of the commercial companies that had come to Sanditon hoping to expand their businesses. Tom had not only ruined the legacy of their family and the hard work that their father had put into it, but he was now tarnishing the other businesses that had come to help Sanditon thrive. The anger that arose in Sidney was almost unbearable.

Sidney took the time alone to take photos and download all the documents he could, so that he may pass it on. As he was packing up his bag Eliza suddenly walked through the door.

“There you are Sidney,” Eliza squealed. “I have been looking for you.”

“Sorry, I got focused and lost track of time.” Sidney faked a smile. “I think you’ll be a lot happier once you are fully paperless.”

“I don’t doubt that, but I didn’t come here for that. You know that I have other things to worry about. I came to tell you we are going back to London.”

“We are?”

“Yes, I need to get back to London right away and you are coming with me, of course. We leave tomorrow.” Eliza said as she glanced around Sidney’s office. “I would have expected you to do something more with your office.”

“I wasn’t expecting for us to be in New York long,” Sidney replied. “But I’m not done with transferring all the files over.”

“We can talk about this over dinner.” Eliza said as she turned to walk out the door. Sidney knew that he was just to follow.

Eliza and Sidney made their way to her favorite restaurant. She was a regular and liked the attention that the staff paid to her when she entered the establishment. They were immediately shown to a back corner booth. Sidney noticed how others in the room looked at Eliza as she walked through the dining room. She was already making a name for herself in New York society, and because of different connections she had made, she even found herself in the American tabloids a few times.

Their waiter came over and poured them both a glass of red wine. Sidney watched Eliza as she swirled her glass and sniffed the aroma before taking her first drink. Sidney chose to take a drink of water instead.

“Aren’t you going to try the wine, Sid?” Eliza asked.

“I will. You know I don’t drink as much these days.” Sidney answered as he uncomfortably smiled. He had chosen not to drink around Eliza because he didn’t want to take a chance of being impaired in her presence. “So why are we going back to London suddenly? I haven’t finished all the file transfers.”

“Some things have come up. I can have someone else handle the file transfers. Your talents can be used elsewhere once we get back to London.”

“My talents?”

“I don’t need your brains wasted on transferring files. I want you to start handling my negotiations and helping acquire new properties. I would like you to get more involved.” Eliza explained.

“Eliza, remember when I agreed to work for you that I didn’t guarantee how long it would be for. I would like to get back to Sanditon and help Tom.”

“Your brother has enough people helping him. I am sure he can spare you for a little longer. I can offer you a lot more than he can.” Eliza smiled as he felt her hand slide up his thigh. He gently took her hand and placed it back in her lap.

“I told you that would not be an option.” Sidney said sternly as he took his first drink of wine.

“Why not? We were so good together.” Eliza stated as she poured her second glass of wine. “You can’t deny that, Sid. Remember those long nights together in my parent’s cottage. You weren’t turning me down then. If I remember correctly, you couldn’t get enough of me.”

“Eliza that was a lifetime ago. We are different people now.” Sidney tried to remain calm as the waiter placed their food on the table. Sidney realized the memories he had of their relationship were not the same ones she shared. Their relationship had started off quite well, but by the end he wanted to escape like a tiger trapped in a zoo cage. Over the years he had been able to look back at their relationship and see how flawed it had been. It had been an unhealthy balance and she brought out the worst in him. “Let’s just eat, okay?”

Eliza smiled and they ate in silence. He could feel Eliza’s glare as they sat there. Sidney knew she must have felt the same awkwardness he did, but she didn’t let it show. After they were done with dinner, Sidney said goodbye to Eliza and decided to walk back to his hotel room. Sidney had come to the decision that he would not be able to do this any longer. He felt that all the financial information he had been able to gather the past few weeks should be enough to support their laundering charges. He didn’t know what else he could do at this point. His heart ached for home, and he felt lonelier than he had ever been.

He entered his room and immediately took off his jacket and threw it towards the couch, not caring where it landed. He loosened his black tie and walked over to the mini-bar. He found a small bottle of Jameson and decided not to bother using a glass. The light in his room was dim and the room was mostly illuminated by the city lights. He sat on the chair and looked out over the city. No matter how much he liked New York, this wasn’t his home. He took a drink and decided to try and call Georgiana. He needed to hear a familiar voice. The phone rang several times before someone picked up.

“Hello” The voice was tired, but still had the soft, sweet tone. Sidney could feel a lump form in his throat.

“Hello?” Charlotte said again. Sidney longed to respond and it took everything in him to not say something. He just wanted to confess everything in that second and tell her how much he missed her. He sighed and then heard her hang up. He tossed his phone across the room and chugged the rest of his whiskey. The smooth drink burned its way down his throat and he went to get another bottle.

Sidney heard a knock on his door and initially chose to ignore it. He knew whoever it was had the wrong room and would figure it out, but the knocking just got louder.

“Damn it! You have the wrong room!” He yelled as he pulled the door open. Eliza stood there looking a more disheveled than she had earlier. He could tell she had been drinking.

“There is no need to yell, Sid” She said slightly slurring his name.

“What do you want, Eliza?” He asked as she started pushing her way into his room.

“You know what I want.” She said smiling as she took off her sweater. “I know you want it to.”

“Eliza, I already told you this is not happening.” Sidney picked up her sweater and handed it back to her. “You really need to leave. You have been drinking.”

“It appears that you have as well,” Eliza said as she saw the empty whiskey bottle. “I thought you said you didn’t drink anymore.”

Sidney just shook his head and motioned her towards the door. She stumbled towards the couch and slipped off her heels, ignoring his signals.

“Do you know how powerful I am?” Eliza bragged as she took her hair down. “Men want me. People fear me. I have done so many things to get where I am.”

“You are drunk and need to go home. You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Sidney, we were so good together back then. Can you imagine how good we can be now? We can build an empire together.” Eliza said as she walked towards him, unbuttoning her blouse. “You know you miss this.” She lightly touched her chest.

“I said no Eliza” He yelled. “I have absolutely no desire to be with you. I have told you to leave and if you don’t I will call security.”

“You can’t call security on me. You have no idea what I am capable of.”

“Oh, I have a pretty good idea. I’m not blind.” Sidney suddenly felt bolder and figured now was the time to have this conversation, or he would be trapped in this maze forever.

“I’m not talking about the money. I know you have seen my accounts.”

“I’m not talking about the accounts, Eliza. I am talking about the old man in Maine. It was pretty convenient that he died right when you needed him to.” Sidney said trying to keep his mind clear, but the small amount of whiskey was starting to take effect.

“He was a problem that I got fixed. He was old. It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter? He had a family.”

“And you saw how much his family cared. They have benefited from this, not as much as I will, but they have more money than they have ever seen.” Eliza said proudly like she had blessed them with some great fortune.

“Eliza, this is your business and you can run it as you see fit, but I am not going to be involved in it. I want to go back to Sanditon, help Tom, and pretend this time with you never happened.” Sidney pleaded.

“Sid, you know that I never take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Eliza backed Sidney up against the wall and groped him. He thought suddenly about the wire he was wearing. She leaned in to kiss him, he turned his head and pushed her away. He tried to put as much space between them as possible.

“Eliza-“

“I am throwing myself at you. I don’t understand why you don’t want me.” Eliza started getting emotional like she usually did when she drank too much. Tears started forming in her eyes. “You weren’t like this before.”

“Eliza, we are both different people. You have to let go of the past.” Sidney tried to diffuse the situation.

“Is it another woman?”

“I told you. We are different people.”

“Is it that girl in Sanditon? I’ve heard you mention Charlotte several times since you have been working for me. I pay attention, Sidney.” Eliza started to get angry.

“I told you that she is just someone who works for Tom.”

“Sure, she is!” Eliza yelled.

“Eliza, you know that I am married to my work. I have no thoughts of any woman. You need to accept that I just don’t want you!” Sidney said unyielding.

Eliza stood there half-dressed and feeling humiliated. Nobody had ever made her feel so exposed and rejected. She was so used to having Sidney whenever she wanted and to see him reject her so coldly angered her.

“You’re fired.” Eliza said as she started putting back on her clothes. Her tone turned flat and had no emotion in it. “You can go back to that substandard town of yours. You can also tell that brother of yours that I will no longer be investing in his ridiculous ideas.”

“Fine,” Sidney responded as he opened the hotel door.

“You’ll regret this, Sidney” Eliza said.

“Oh, I doubt it.” Sidney said as he slammed the door on her. Not only did he feel a sudden sense of freedom, but he also felt a sense of closure. He hoped to never see Eliza Campion again. He walked back to the mini-bar and drank another bottle of whiskey before passing out on the bed.

The next morning Sidney awoke and called the local detectives to inform them of the developments. They came to the hotel room and gathered their equipment. They believed that the statements Sidney got out of Eliza along with the toxicology reports they were waiting on from the coroner in Maine could get some serious charges filed. They were also pleased with all of the downloaded information Sidney had provided. It all strengthened their case and they were handing it over to the appropriate parties. They advised Sidney that he should go back to London and lie low for a while. Sidney agreed with their suggestion and started making calls to find a flat to purchase. After a few days he was able to find one, and within a couple of weeks he purchased it under one of the old LLC names his father had. It was an LLC nobody knew about, not even Tom. He decided he would live there for a few months and make sure Eliza wasn’t after him before heading home. He felt like he was finally on the right track. It would take time, but he would make it back to Sanditon and get back to Charlotte. The thought of her made him smile. He didn’t know how he could convince her to give him another chance, but he would work as hard as he could proving his worth to her.

Several days later Eliza watched as Sidney left the hotel. She watched him as he waited outside the hotel for his taxi. She felt her anger surge and couldn’t believe this man rejected her. She assumed he would be going back to Sanditon. She took her phone out of her purse and dialed.

“It’s me” She said. “I need you to go to Sanditon”

“What do you need me to do?” Adam replied.

“Find out all you can about this Charlotte girl who works for Tom Parker. I think her last name was Heywood.”

“Is there anything in particular you need?”

“I want to know what her relationship with Sidney Parker is.” Eliza instructed him. “I think he may be headed back there now, so use that charm of yours. I don’t want them together.”

“Okay, I’ll start working plans to go there now.” Adam replied. “Am I going to see you when you get back?”

“I do have some needs that need to be satisfied.” Eliza said slyly.

“You know I love satisfying you.” Adam replied in a low tone. “I have missed you a lot.”

“I’ll see you soon.” Eliza hung up and continued staring at Sidney. She couldn’t let this man get away with humiliating her like this.


	13. Plans Gone Awry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments and for continuing to follow this story. We are getting closer to the end and I am really glad you guys have enjoyed this different take on Sanditon. Have a great weekend!

The sound of heavy rain hitting the window roused Charlotte from her sleep. She could feel her eyes burning as she tried to open them. Between the crying and lack of sleep she could feel her head spinning. The night seemed like a blur. She could feel the warmth of Sidney’s body and reached her hand out to touch his arm. It was the confirmation she needed to know that this was reality and not a nightmare that she had conjured up.

The light pressure of her hand on him made Sidney moan softly. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him. He could smell the soft scent of lavender that lingered in her hair.

“You’re up earlier than I expected.” Sidney mumbled as he kept his eyes closed.

“The storm woke me up.” Charlotte whispered. She rolled over to look at his face. She felt guilty when her thoughts drifted to just how perfectly handsome he was. “Between that and everything you told me last night, I just couldn’t sleep.”

“I didn’t get much sleep either.” Sidney let out a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do. Everything feels so hopeless right now.”

“There is always hope, Sidney. I know sometimes it’s hard to see it in moments like this, but we’re going to make it through this.” Charlotte kissed him gently. “We need to focus on what we can do.”

“Well, for poor Georgiana all we can really do is pray and trust that the doctors know what they are doing.” Sidney swallowed as he tried to hold back tears. “Charlotte, if I ever find the person responsible for her condition, I’ll kill them.”

“That’s what we should do.” Charlotte sat up suddenly. Her sudden movement surprised Sidney and he sat up as well.

“You want to go murder someone?” Sidney laughed.

“No! Of course not, but you know the Sanditon police think this was a random accident. You know it is not. We should try and figure out who broke in.”

“How would we do that? It could have been anyone.”

“I know you think they were there to harm you or me, but could there have been something else they were after?” Charlotte asked.

“I don’t think so. I mean Eliza didn’t know what I was up to.”

“Are you sure? I mean maybe you slipped up or maybe someone saw you.”

“Not that I can think of. I was always very careful.” Sidney tried to remember all the details of that trip to New York, but nothing came to mind. “I haven’t seen her since the night she came to my hotel room.”

“What was she doing in your hotel room?” Charlotte asked as a wave of jealousy washed over her. She did not want to imagine Eliza in Sidney’s room, but it was hard not to.

“She wanted me to start handling her real estate acquisitions.” Sidney exhaled before proceeding. “She also wanted me to sleep with her.”

“She did?” Charlotte asked nervously.

“Yes, she was drunk and rambling. She wanted to get back together, but I rejected her. To say that she didn’t take it well would be an understatement. She fired me and I kicked her out.”

“That’s good to know.” Charlotte ran her fingers through her hair. The relief she felt was immense.

“Charlotte, we may not have been a couple when I left, but the entire time I was gone, I was wishing we were. From the moment we met, you are all I have ever wanted. There is no other woman on this earth that could come close to you.” Sidney said in a sincere way that made Charlotte’s heart skip a beat.

Charlotte tilted her head and leaned in to kiss him. When their lips touched she could feel the goose bumps form on her arms. Sidney ran his fingers down her forearm and his warm touch made areas of her body tingle. She didn’t just want him, but needed him to be as close to her as possible. As her mind wandered to the things she wanted him to do to her, the intensity of her kiss became stronger. He answered back with the same urgency.

Charlotte pulled back and smiled at Sidney. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Charlotte.” Sidney kissed her again. Charlotte grabbed him and made them both fall back into the bed.

Suddenly, Sidney’s phone started ringing.

“Of course.” Sidney growled as he sat back up and searched for his phone. He looked at the number and answered. Charlotte could tell right away that it must have been the hospital calling about Georgiana’s condition. Charlotte rubbed his back in a reassuring manner, not knowing for certain what news he was getting. The call only lasted a few minutes.

“What did they say?” Charlotte asked after he hung up.

“They want me to go down and see them in person.”

“Is Georgie okay?”

“It sounds hopeful, but they said they would provide more detail when we get there.”

“We should head over then. I think I’ll feel a lot better once I know how she is doing.” Charlotte took Sidney’s hand and squeezed it.

“Charlotte, one day when this whole mess is behind us, we are going to go away and not see the outside world for days.” Sidney kissed her hand.

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Charlotte smiled and walked out of the bedroom.

________

After they were both dressed, they made their way towards the hospital. The drive there seemed quicker than it had been the night before, and the anticipation was killing both of them. Sidney knew that Georgiana was a fighter and that if anyone had the chance to make it out of this that it would be her. Sidney parked the car and before he could open the door, Charlotte took his hand.

“I don’t know what we are about to walk into, but remember we are in this together.” Charlotte declared. She let out a deep breath and could see that Sidney did the same.

They walked into the hospital and made their way to Georgiana’s room. Charlotte could see that her bruising had become more prominent. She took Georgiana’s hand in hers and squeezed it lightly. The way the morning light lit up the room made Charlotte all too aware of the damage that had been afflicted upon her friend, and it angered her.

“Georgiana, it’s Sidney, I just want you to know that we are here.” Sidney touched her arm. He observed the machines that were monitoring her and studied all the tubes that were hooked up to her small frame. “She looks so much smaller, doesn’t she? She always seems so much bigger.”

“It’s her personality that always made her seem larger than life. She is so opinionated, strong,” Charlotte uttered. “and stubborn! I think it’s easy to forget her size when you have an incredible force like Georgiana Lambe coming at you.”

“God, if that isn’t the truth. There were so many times I wanted to get as far away from her as I could, but right now I would love to have her pester me.”

“I’m sure she will be back to herself in no time and then you’ll regret those words.”

“You’re right.” Sidney grinned slightly, wondering if he was being a fool for actually giving into being optimistic. He couldn’t imagine everything going wrong.

Dr. Ridge walked in and both Sidney and Charlotte stood to greet him.

“Mr. Parker” The doctor reached out and shook Sidney’s hand. “I’m sorry; I don’t think I got your name last night. You are?”

“Charlotte, Charlotte Heywood. I am Sidney’s girlfriend.” Charlotte introduced herself. Dr. Ridge turned to face Sidney again.

“Georgiana has remained stable overnight. It also appears the bleeding has stopped. She has some brain swelling which is normal for this type of injury, but to be honest, it isn’t as bad as I would have expected. Unfortunately, we are still in a wait and see situation, but the fact that she hasn’t worsened gives me some hope.”

“Do you have any idea how long she will be in a coma?” Sidney asked nervously.

“I can’t answer that. These types of injuries always vary. We plan on doing another scan tomorrow and see if there have been any changes.”

“Thank you, Dr. Ridge.” Charlotte said.

“Mr. Parker, I will let you know if anything changes and you have my number if you need anything.” Dr. Ridge nodded and left the room. Charlotte could see that the tightness in Sidney’s jaw had vanished.

“There isn’t anything we can do but wait.” Sidney sighed as he walked over to look outside of the hospital window. “I hate it, Charlotte; I hate not being able to do anything.”

Charlotte walked over and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she laid her head on his back.

“Sidney, I know you would love to just fix all this, but you need to let go of that. You can’t fix everything.” Charlotte told him softly. They both stood there for a minute lost in their own thoughts. The only noise was coming from the machines in the room before they heard footsteps behind them.

Charlotte turned around to see Arthur standing there. He had a stunned expression on his face as he looked at Georgiana. She could see his breath starting to quicken and suddenly he was crying.

“Oh, Arthur!” Charlotte cried and ran over to embrace him. She could feel the dampness from his eyes through her t-shirt. She patted his back and allowed him to let out his emotions. She felt herself starting to be overcome by her own feelings and started to weep herself. Arthur eventually let her go and wiped the tears from his face.

“She doesn’t look good.” He said as he walked closer to Georgiana’s bed.

“I’m not sure she would appreciate that statement.” Sidney teased as he wiped a tear from his own eye. The sight of Charlotte and Arthur crying had made it hard to breathe. He felt crushed knowing the people he loved were hurting. Sidney couldn’t repress the sadness he was feeling.

“What did the doctor say?” Arthur asked. “What’s the prognosis?”

“We don’t know yet. She has suffered head trauma and had a brain bleed, but that bleeding has stopped and she is stable. We just have to wait and see right now.” Charlotte explained.

“I see.” Arthur said as he took a seat in the empty chair beside the bed. “I guess I should start to settle in then.”

“Settle in?” Sidney said.

“Yes, I’m not going anywhere. If Georgiana has to be here then so do I.” Arthur replied in a determined manner.

“You’re such a good friend, Arthur.” Charlotte smiled sweetly at him.

“You guys didn’t make it back to Bedford Place last night. Did you get a hotel nearby?” Arthur asked.

“No, we went to my place.” Sidney replied.

“You have a place in London?” Arthur looked very confused.

“Yes, and we do not need to discuss it now.” Sidney said in a tone that Arthur knew meant to drop the subject.

“Well, it’s a good thing anyways. Tom showed up this morning and he was in quite the mood.” Arthur informed them as he started inspecting Georgiana’s nails. “Charlotte, do you think you can pick up some nail polish when you go shopping later?”

“I didn’t know I was going shopping.” Charlotte felt confused.

“I would assume that you wouldn’t want to live in Sidney’s shirts.” Arthur said as he pointed at her. “It doesn’t really suit you. Also, Georgiana would be upset if she woke up and saw her poor nails in the current state they are in.”

“I didn’t think I looked that bad.” Charlotte looked down at her outfit.

“You look beautiful.” Sidney whispered to her as he kissed her head.

“Sorry Charlotte, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just meant we don’t know how long we are going to be here and unless you plan on driving back to Sanditon to get some clothes, you should go get something. I will stay here with Georgie.”

“Actually, you are right. I should run to a store and grab a few things. The last twenty four hours have been such a blur.” Charlotte looked at Sidney. “You can stay here with Arthur. I shouldn’t be long.”

“I told you that I’m not leaving your side. I’ll go with you. Arthur is here and I’m sure Georgiana would rather hear him ramble on than me.”

_____________

Sidney and Charlotte left the hospital and made their way to the closest Primark. Sidney grabbed them some coffee from the shop and followed Charlotte around. For a moment, it felt as though they were living their normal everyday lives as he watched her pick up toothpaste and other household items. She picked out a few outfits, but decided that she loved the feeling of sleeping in Sidney’s shirt and didn’t bother finding pajamas. He found her quite sexy in his t-shirt and decided to remain quiet as she contemplated her clothing choices. Before they left to check out, Sidney realized he should grab some items for himself, since his flat was basically empty and he didn’t know how long they would be staying in London. Charlotte was a couple of aisles over looking at shampoo when Sidney felt as though someone was watching him. He looked up to see Adam at the end of the aisle.

“Adam?” He said as his body immediately tensed up as though it knew something he didn’t.

“Sid! I didn’t expect to see you here.” Adam said. Sidney looked down at Adam’s basket that only had a few items in it. “I didn’t know you were visiting London.”

“Yes, there was an emergency and we had to come to London.” Sidney said pointedly.

“Oh, is Charlotte here?” Adam asked.

“Yes, she is.” Charlotte said smiling. “I didn’t know you were in London.”

Adam suddenly hugged Charlotte as he greeted her. Adam’s eyes stayed locked onto Sidney’s and his arms wrapped around Charlotte. Sidney could feel his heartbeat speed up and his blood began to boil.

“I came up here for an arbitration meeting for one of my London cases.” Adam explained. “You said you were here for an emergency. I hope it is nothing too serious.”

Sidney placed his arm around Charlotte’s waist and pulled her close.

“Actually, Georgiana was injured last night. They had to fly her to a hospital here.” Charlotte told Adam and filled him in with the latest information about Georgiana’s condition. Sidney didn’t speak as he watched Adam and Charlotte talk. He could tell by Charlotte’s body language that she felt awkward. She was fidgeting as she tried to engage in polite conversation. Adam, on the other hand, seemed as cool as a cucumber. Adam was telling her that he had been in London for the past few days and gave his well wishes for Georgiana. He told Charlotte some uplifting story of someone he had known with similar injuries. Sidney couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all a lie.

“So how long are you in London for Adam?” Sidney asked as two small children ran through the aisle. Adam raised his hands to avoid having them run into them and one of his sleeves moved down his arm. Sidney noticed a nasty scratch mark on his arm. Charlotte’s attention had been on the children who didn’t seem to be supervised and were definitely too young to be running around by themselves.

“That doesn’t look good.” Sidney observed. Adam looked down at his exposed wound.

“Oh, that. I got in a fight with my sister’s cat and lost. Cats are such devilish creatures.” Adam replied as he pulled his sleeve back down.

“That they are.” Sidney said. “Charlotte and I need to get going, but I hope you make it back to Sanditon safely. The weather hasn’t been ideal.”

“Right” Adam smiled. “Goodbye.”

Sidney walked to where Charlotte was now standing with the children’s mother. He placed his hand on her back to guide her away from the aisle.

“Bye, Adam” Charlotte said loudly as they walked away. She gave him a small wave.

As soon as Adam was out of sight Sidney took Charlotte by the arm and whispered in her ear. “We need to get out of here now.”

They made their way quickly to the till and Sidney kept an eye on their surroundings as he paid. There was no sign of Adam anywhere when they exited the store. The rain had finally stopped as they hopped into the car. There was a sliver of sunlight starting to break through the clouds.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Charlotte asked anxiously. She could feel her stomach start to twist in knots.

“Adam had some scratches on his arm. He said it had been from a cat, but there is no way a cat made those marks.”

“Are you serious?” Charlotte’s heart started beating frantically.

“How much do you know about him?” Sidney asked as he sped away. Charlotte wasn’t that familiar with this area of London, but even she could tell he was taking a different route home. She looked at him curiously, but could tell by the expression on his face that something heavy was weighing on his mind. She suddenly started trying to think of every little detail that Adam may have shared.

“His name is Adam Knightley. He is an attorney. He lived in Paris prior to moving to Sanditon. He moved to Sanditon sometime in September. I don’t know.” Charlotte’s head started to spin. “What information are you looking for?”

“Charlotte, you dated him. I am sure he told you something more.” Sidney said bluntly.

“Let me remind you that we weren’t formally dating. You were present for our first date and you know how that turned out.” Charlotte replied rather defensively.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant to say you obviously spent time with him. Did he ever mention London or anything that ever seemed odd to you?”

“I know he traveled to London on business regularly. That’s where he bought my necklace.” Charlotte looked out the car window as they drove in circles. She tried her hardest to remember the times they were together, suddenly a memory returned to her. “I just remembered something. One time James and I went to Adam’s office, and he excused himself to go take a call. He left us in his office and I noticed some mail addressed to a Ewan Helms-“

“Ewan Helms? Why does that name seem familiar?” Sidney’s voice trailed off as Charlotte finished her story.

“Yes, Ewan Helms. I thought it had been delivered to the wrong address and I offered to take it to the post office to return it. He told me no and put it in a drawer. It seemed a little odd the way his attitude had shifted when I asked him about it, but he also had seemed agitated when he came back from his phone call.” Charlotte continued. “I just assumed his attitude was more about the phone call than the mail, but maybe it was something else. Tell me what has set you off.”

“I know you think that my initial suspicion of Adam was based on jealousy, which could be partially true, but my gut was just telling me something wasn’t right.”

“Sidney, I trust you, so just tell me why you are suspicious of him.”

“The day you were moving he called me ‘Sid’. Eliza is really the only one who calls me that. It didn’t sit right with me, but I tried to write it off as a coincidence. I thought maybe he was just trying to create a familiarity between us. I also asked Georgiana about him.”

“Why did you talk to Georgiana about him?”

“Do you really have to ask? I love you, Charlotte. I needed to know who my competition was.”

“There never was any competition, Sidney.”

“I know that now.” He grinned slightly. “Anyways, Georgiana told me he came from Paris. I wondered what kind of lawyer would leave a successful practice in France to come to a small beach resort. There are little things that aren’t adding up and that name ‘Ewan Helms’ I know I have heard that name before.”

“I wish I could remember more. I’m sorry.” Charlotte said as they finally pulled into the alley way leading to Sidney’s flat.

They remained silent as they took the elevator up. The moment they entered the flat, Charlotte broke the silence between them.

“Do you really think that Eliza would send Adam to hurt me?”

“Eliza only needed to know that I cared for you in order for you to become a target.“A thought came to Sidney. “You said Adam moved to Sanditon in September?”

“Yes, I mean that’s when we met him.”

“And you met him through James?”

“Yes, James said he met him at the gym. Adam had invited James to the bar and they had asked us to come.”

“Do you think James would be able to get a copy of the lease application for either Adam’s office or his rental?” Sidney asked.

“I can call him. I have admin access. He can log in as me and look it up.”

Charlotte picked up her phone and immediately dialed James. The trust that their friendship was based on was stronger than other friendships she had. She explained the situation to him and he quickly logged onto the server Tom used for all his business dealings. He knew that if Charlotte was asking for this information that her reasoning must be sound. James was silent for a few minutes before he came upon the file that contained Adam’s lease.

“I found it, Charlotte.” James said as Charlotte put the phone on speaker mode. He quickly skimmed the lease agreements. “I can tell you that his references are fictitious.”

“How do you know that?”

“I doubt that Michael Corleone, Keyser Soze and Ellen Ripley are out there giving references to people.”

“Why do those names sound familiar?”

“They are all movie characters, Charlotte.” James explained. “See that’s why you should come to movie night more often.”

Charlotte ignored his remark.

“What is the name on the lease and when was it signed?” Charlotte asked.

“Hold on. Let me look at both of them.” James said. Charlotte could hear him mumbling to himself as he went through the paperwork. “They both appear to be in the name of an LLC. Tragic Kingdom? It was signed on July 1, 2019”

“Tragic Kingdom, LLC? I have never heard of that name before.”

“Tragic Kingdom, LLC is one of Eliza’s holdings in the U.S. That’s where I saw the name Ewan Helms.” Sidney chimed in as he suddenly had a flash of one of the accounts he had audited.”He was receiving payments that went through the LLC on a regular basis.” 

Charlotte turned her attention back to James. “Which leasing agent signed off on the lease agreement?”

“It wasn’t a leasing agent.” James said. “It was Tom.”

“Adam leased the spaces shortly after I had told Eliza I was done with her. She sent him there.” Sidney sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Are you sure it was Tom that signed it?” Charlotte asked James as she stared at Sidney. Initially she thought she saw a worried expression cross his face, but she soon noticed it was the look of betrayal.

“I know that signature anywhere.” James replied. “Sorry, I know that doesn’t help matters.”

“Thanks James”

Charlotte ended the call and walked to where Sidney was now standing. She gave him a gentle hug.

“I’m sorry. I know that you have done so much for Tom.”

“I just don’t know why he would lease to a known associate of Eliza’s. He knew I was trying to help him get a lighter sentence. Why would he do this? What are we missing?”

“Maybe Tom has an explanation.” Charlotte said rubbing his shoulder.

“I am done with his explanations. I am done with his excuses and quite frankly I am done with Sanditon.” Sidney shouted. “It isn’t the home that I knew. It isn’t a place my parents would be proud of. I have done everything I can to help my brother, but he refuses to help himself. I can’t live like this anymore.”

Charlotte’s heart broke for Sidney. She knew how devoted he was to his family and especially his brother. It was one of the reasons she loved him so fiercely. He was an incredible man who deserved so much, but seemed to get so little in return. All at once the need to satisfy him in any way she could came over her. She needed him and wanted him to feel how much she loved and longed for him.

Charlotte casually took his hand in hers and led him to the bedroom. His face initially had an aspect of confusion on it, but as her eyes darkened and her lips reddened with the rush of blood that was now flowing to all parts of her, he knew that he was in for it. She gently pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. She started kissing him tenderly on the mouth. The light, soft kisses immediately drove him mad with desire. She let her mouth lightly graze his neck and let the tip of her tongue mildly touch his sensitive spot right beneath his ear. His nipples hardened as he allowed himself to close his eyes and be in the moment.

“Let’s just forget everything.” She whispered in his ear. “It’s only you and me for the night.”

With these words Sidney grabbed Charlotte, rolled her over to her backside and ripped off the t-shirt she was wearing. Her heaving bosom made Sidney’s member throb as he gently licked her right breast. Charlotte moaned with pleasure as Sidney removed her bra, freeing her large breasts from their confinement. His hand reached up and squeezed her breast firmly as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. The passion they were both feeling was all consuming. They had loved each other for so long and the months that they had been apart had made their need for each other intensify. The events that they had been through had solidified their bond and all they wanted was each other. They both had a voracious appetite for the other and the urge to be as close as humanly possible was unimaginable. Charlotte didn’t need to waste time on foreplay or draw out any kisses. She just wanted him right now. She reached down and removed her pants as he unfastened his pants. The carnal desires they had needed to be satisfied. She admired Sidney’s naked form and was pleased with what she saw. She took him in hand and gave him a light tug before he pushed into her. Charlotte let out a gasp as she took him all in. Their lovemaking was hard and fast as they both let go of all inhibitions and gave themselves to each other. As Charlotte started to reach her peak, Sidney lightly bit her lower lip. They both let go and felt the release they both had so desperately needed. The emotions of the day had been forgotten and for a moment they were the only ones in the world. They had allowed themselves to give into ferociousness that only they both understood. Tomorrow would be a new day with new challenges, but for tonight all that mattered was them.

___________

Adam glanced around to make sure that nobody had seen him arrive at Eliza’s home. The extravagance of her place always took his breath away. He entered her dining room and found her eating dinner. She looked lovely with her blonde strands carefully framing her face. He had been taken with her from the moment they met and was willing to do anything she wanted.

“It’s about time you showed up.” Eliza said sternly.

“I came as fast as I could, but given the current circumstances. I shouldn’t even be here.” Adam said as he took a seat beside her.

“What are you talking about? Did you find any of the thumb drives?” Eliza sighed and rolled her eyes.

“There was a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Eliza slammed her fork on the plate in front of her.

“I did as you asked and went to Sidney’s. I couldn’t find anything, but before I was able to leave that brat Georgiana showed up. We had an altercation and from what I gather she is now in the ICU in London. They don’t know for sure if she will recover.” Adam said not daring to look Eliza in the eye. He had been in the hospital for part of the day trying to overhear any information he could.

“That stupid cop, Chris, said that Sidney was spying on me. He said that Sidney had thumb drives. How could you not find them?” She screamed.

“I am assuming that he already turned them into the authorities, Eliza. The little bit I know about Sidney Parker would lead me to believe he isn’t stupid enough to hold evidence at his house. He loves his family and friends too much.”

Eliza was not happy with this reply and Adam could see her jaw tighten as she began to grit her teeth.

“Look Eliza, I am just telling you what I have observed and heard from those in Sanditon. I think it is too late to destroy any evidence he may have.”

“That isn’t the right answer, Adam. What am I supposed to do?”

“Let’s go to South America. You’ve always said that we would be together once the Maine deal was over. We could just leave now and never look back.” Adam said as he took her hand. 

“I said we could go once the Sanditon deal was over.” Eliza corrected him.

“I don’t know whatever possessed you to think that you could somehow steal Sanditon out from under the Parker brothers. Tom may be an idiot, but Sidney will do anything for his brother and that means anything to save Sanditon.”

“Well, if you would have done your job and seduced that tramp Charlotte, Sidney would never have stayed once he saw that his princess had moved on. I know how he is.” Eliza replied. “I have Tom so wrapped up in criminal activity, that I was sure I could blackmail him to sign Sanditon LLC over to me.”

“I never know if this is about obtaining Sanditon for you or just getting revenge on Sidney Parker!”

“You had explicit instructions that if you weren’t able to find the evidence we needed, that you were to burn down that miserable town. I could get some of the insurance payout and those Parker brothers would be ruined.”

“If everything would have gone to plan that town would be smoldering right now.” Adam sighed. “None of that matters right now. What do you want to do now? They could be planning on arresting you at any moment”

“I think you are right and we should leave, but first I want to give Sidney a proper goodbye. After all, he didn’t just reject me twice, but he also spied on me. I feel like that deserves a proper parting.” Eliza smirked. “ In the meantime, I have other plans for you.”

Eliza grabbed Adam’s hand and lead him upstairs.


	14. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to apologize for how long it has taken me to update this story. This has been a crazy season of life and I was not in a creative space. I appreciate all your comments and messages I received about this story. I am glad that many of you enjoy this more suspenseful version of Sidlotte and that you were willing to give this story a chance. So, let's get this wrapped up. Thanks for reading!

Sidney and Charlotte took advantage of the quiet peacefulness of the next morning. The minutes passed by slowly as they remained wrapped in each other’s arms, appreciating every small touch and caress as the world outside woke up. They felt safe as they remained in bed and tried to push aside any thoughts of what the immediate future may hold for them and their loved ones. They gazed at each other in the easy silence. No words were needed in this moment as they both knew without a doubt the depth of their love and the connection that they were so lucky to have found. Sidney ran his fingers down Charlotte’s face and his thumb gently touched her lips. She gave it a small kiss and smiled at him. She pushed herself closer to him and she could feel the heat radiating from his naked body. Thoughts of their night together made her sweet smile turn to a more devilish grin that revealed her want.

“What is it?” Sidney asked as he stared at her rosy lips.

“I was just thinking of last night.” What had begun as a desperate physical need for each other had turned into a long night of exploring every inch of one another. They discovered the special spots that drove the other one mad with anticipation. She had never been so completely satisfied in her life and just the thought of Sidney’s hands on her made a shiver run through her entire body, causing her to jerk slightly.

“Those are some nice thoughts to have,” Sidney said as he smiled wickedly.

“Nice would be an understatement.” Charlotte said as she inched her face close to his. He licked his lips before their lips touched. She thought about how much she longed to be his forever. She had never felt so alive. She climbed on top of him, but kept the sheet cloaked around her trying to keep warm. Her messy hair was draped over her shoulders. She could see the love in Sidney’s eyes as he looked at her and wished they could stay here, like this, forever.

“You did seem quite pleased. It’s a good thing we do not have any neighbors around or we would have had noise complaints.” He teased.

“Sidney!” Charlotte squealed as she lightly hit his shoulder. Her face turned red. Before she knew it he had flipped her onto her back and was placing kisses down her neck. He freed the sheet that was covering her like an eager child opening a gift on his birthday.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I like knowing I can make you feel like that.” He said in cocky manner as his lips made their way to her breasts. Sidney couldn’t believe how intoxicated she made him feel. The intensity of his feelings for her was overwhelming and made every touch more electric. He never had thought he could allow himself to be so free and honest with someone, to be himself, but with Charlotte, he felt a bond that was otherworldly. He felt that they were fated to be together. He brought his face back to meet hers and kissed her fervently.

Sidney’s phone began to ring, and he glanced over at it. Tom’s name was showing on the caller I.D. Sidney rolled his eyes and moved towards the edge of the bed.

“Sorry,” he said as he looked at Charlotte. He had left her in a state of wanting and disarray. He picked up the phone and walked out of the room. Charlotte picked up her own phone once he was out of the room. It was already ten o’clock and she knew they could no longer stay in this bubble of bliss that they had already allowed themselves to be in for too long. She had put her phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and had a few missed calls from Arthur and one from Mary. Neither had left a voice mail though.

Charlotte went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She knew Sidney was still on the phone, but she noticed he was doing more listening than talking. She climbed into the shower and as the hot water hit her she allowed herself to think of everything they were all going through. Georgie being hospitalized, what could have happened with Adam if Sidney hadn’t come back when he did, and then there was the revelation of Eliza’s malicious intent. It all seemed like someone else’s life and the weight of what was going on was enormous. She allowed herself to cry for a brief moment and let out some of the emotions she had been feeling. She trusted Sidney and knew they would get past all of this, but it just didn’t seem real. She loved Sidney immensely and thinking about what he had experienced was a lot to take in. She took a deep breath and then washed her face. Charlotte had been raised to face problems head on and she knew that there was nobody she would rather face these difficulties with than him. He was her other half and they balanced each other in such a way that she had no doubt that better days were ahead.

She stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her, and then dried her hair. She walked out to the bedroom and found Sidney sitting on the bed. His face had a solemn look, and she knew that it couldn’t have been good news.

“What did he say?” She asked cautiously.

“He called to let me know that the detectives were at the house. They are taking him into custody.” Sidney said sadly.

“They arrested him?” Charlotte looked rather stunned. “I didn’t expect it to be so soon.”

“I knew this was coming, but for some reason I am still shocked.”

“How did he sound?” Charlotte said as she walked over and put her hands on his shoulders.

“He sounded like typical Tom, but I know he must be worried. He can only live in his own delusions for so long.” Sidney replied as he pulled her to him, burying his face into her stomach. He turned his head and she could feel him inhale deeply and release the breath he had held for several seconds. “I have to go to the police station.”

“Okay, I just have to throw on some clothes and we can go.”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For being there.”

“I’ll always be there for you, Sidney.” Charlotte smiled and gave him a quick kiss as he walked into the closet to grab some clothes.

______

The police station smelled of old food and seemed a bit musty. Charlotte had been left in the waiting area while Sidney went to see Tom. She started to get a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach which she wished would go away. The world had turned upside down in the past few days, and it was all quite surreal for her.

Charlotte looked at her phone to distract herself and had a few texts from James along with one from her sister Alison. She answered them both and gave them a brief update. The last thing she wanted was for either of them to worry. Charlotte knew that Sidney would do everything in his power to protect her, but the thought of Adam and Eliza made her blood run cold. It was hard for her to not feel any anger towards Tom at the moment. The entire situation was such a mess and seeing how stressed Sidney was feeling made it even harder. She knew it was wrong, but the thought of slapping Tom did run across her mind a few times. It wouldn’t solve anything and she wasn’t one for physical violence, but she was sure it would feel good. She laughed silently to herself at the thought.

The Parker brothers had made such an impact on her life. Even with Tom’s faults, he had supported her and showed her the right and wrong ways to run a business. He had welcomed her into his home, and his family became like her own. Sweet Arthur had been a true friend whom she could be completely rely upon. Friendship is a gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted and she knew she had found something special with both Arthur and Georgiana. She felt a tear come to her eye as she thought about Georgiana. She hated thinking of her friend being in the condition she was in. Then there was Sidney, her Sidney. The hurt she had felt when he had left Sanditon was indescribable. She had believed with all that she was that he would never hurt her and his absence had made no sense. It wasn’t who Sidney was and now knowing where he had been made it even more painful, but they were together now and would never leave each other’s side.

The man that taught her what love was. It was hard to put into words how much she adored him. From the moment they met, she had felt this pull towards him that could not be ignored. It was quite obvious that he was a very handsome man, and whenever he turned on his charm, she was always lost in an instant, but there was something else there. They were both at their best when they were together, and she knew he felt the same way.

She had never given much thought to marriage or having children. Growing up in a big family had kind of turned her off of the idea and there were other goals she wanted to achieve, but when she had met Sidney her views changed. She knew that it was possible to not only follow her dreams, but also having a great partner to share those dreams with.

Charlotte wanted to daydream about the future, but with the uncertainty of Georgiana’s condition and the current chaos of their life, she decided to keep her head out of the clouds. She took a deep breath and thought of ways to distract herself. She decided to scroll through the news and some random gossip site. She tried to keep her mind off the conversation Sidney was having with Tom, but it was hard not to think of both of them. She felt bad for Tom and even worse for Sidney. Suddenly she felt as though someone was watching her and it made her a bit uncomfortable. She fidgeted in her chair and glanced at her texts again. She hadn’t been waiting long but it had felt like an eternity. She got up and walked over to an officer who had been standing nearby.

“Excuse me” she said softly “Is there any coffee or tea around here?”

“Yes, there is.” The male police officer smiled at her. “Follow me”

He led her to a small room that was just off of the waiting area. She felt like an idiot for not noticing it earlier. That fluttering, nervous feeling in her stomach had returned.

“Thank you. I don’t know how I missed it.”

“No worries. I am sure you have other things on your mind. Most people who come into the station do.”

“You’re quite right.” Charlotte picked up a small paper cup and proceeded to make herself a coffee. She could feel the officer staring at her and it made her uncomfortable, but she couldn’t figure out why.

“Did you need help with anything else?” He asked.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll just continue to wait on my boyfriend.” Charlotte grinned. “Thanks again!”

“You’re welcome”

She could feel the officer’s eyes following her out of the room. Her body shook involuntarily for a moment. She sat her coffee beside her and picked up her phone again. She acted as though she was texting, but she really was watching the officer who had helped her. She realized he was loitering in the waiting area and really didn’t seem to have a purpose there. Just as her mind started to wonder about the motives of the officer, Sidney appeared.

“You’re done already?” Charlotte asked as she stood up. “How’s Tom?”

“Not well. He is concerned about Mary. She is leaving Sanditon right now. He wants me to go to Bedford Place and wait for her. We think it’s better if she hears about the charges from me.” Sidney replied. “I mean it would have been better if she would have heard it from Tom, but here we are.”

Charlotte took Sidney’s hand and squeezed it. He looked as though the weight of the world was on him.

“Let’s go then.” Charlotte could feel eyes on them again and turned to see the strange officer staring at both of them. Sidney led her out of the station to his parked vehicle.

The drive to Bedford Place didn’t take long, and the home appeared empty when they arrived.

“Arthur must be at the hospital,” Sidney said. “Make yourself at home. I just need to run upstairs for a second.”

Charlotte watched Sidney as he ascended the stairs and then took a look around the living room. Everywhere Charlotte looked there were old family photos of four small children with bright smiles upon their faces. As she looked at the various frames on the credenza, she recognized Sidney. She picked up a silver frame and ran her finger over the cool glass. Even though Sidney was quite young in the photo she could recognize that smile of his anywhere. It was the same smile the woman who had him enveloped in her arms had. Their mother was absolutely beautiful. She had a radiant smile and her dark eyes shone with happiness. It was a wonderful moment in time that had been captured. Sidney’s small body being tightly hugged as they both stood on a sandy beach. Charlotte’s heart ached for a second when she thought of what they had both missed out on. She set the photo back down, and after a few more minutes of studying the photos throughout the room, she walked towards the kitchen.

She always felt a little bit uncomfortable when people told her to make herself at home. She knew Sidney was the only other person in the residence, so she went ahead and grabbed the kettle from the stove and filled it with water. She searched around and found two mugs along with a stash of tea bags. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink that she was sure Tom and Arthur had left. She turned on the water and waited for it to get hot. There was not much else to do at the moment but tidy up the place and she didn’t mind it. It helped keep her busy as she waited for Sidney and she knew Mary didn’t need to come home to a mess.

The kettle started to whistle at almost the same moment that Charlotte finished washing the last plate. The smell of the apple blossom dish soap filled the room as she prepared their tea. She heard some footsteps come up behind her. As she turned, expecting to see Sidney, the mug of tea she was holding crashed into the floor.

“Adam!” Charlotte felt as though she had been punched in the gut. She heard Sidney call to her from upstairs. She saw a pistol in Adam’s hand.

“Are you okay, Charlotte?” Sidney called to her. She knew he had heard the crash.

She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. Adam motioned at her to answer.

“I’m fine, Sidney. I was clumsy and dropped a glass.” She yelled to him trying to hide the trembling in her voice.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Charlotte. Just follow instructions and you’ll be okay.” Adam whispered to her. “Now go to the living room.”

Adam followed her as she went to the next room, and immediately she saw Eliza Campion sitting on the sofa looking smug. Her heartbeat started to speed up to a rate she had never felt before. She reminded herself that she needed to remain calm. She took another deep breath and let it out slowly. Adam lightly pushed her into one of the chairs that sat across from where Eliza was currently sitting. Eliza smiled at her in a way that made Charlotte feel slightly ill.

“I think it’s time for Sid to join us, don’t you think?” Eliza asked.

Charlotte stared at Eliza and didn’t respond. She surveyed the room trying to get more familiar with her surroundings. She looked up at Adam who was standing next to her. He looked at her with an emotionless expression. She didn’t know how she couldn’t have picked up on the fact that this man was trouble.

As Charlotte sat downstairs, Sidney was going through a few old family boxes. He was on a mission to find a small token that he had left at Bedford Place years ago. Suddenly, his eyes were upon it and a small grin crossed his face. He slipped the small silk bag into his pocket and walked to the landing area at the top of the stairs. He could hear voices, and he knew without a doubt that one of them was one he had wished to never hear again. The view into the living room was mostly obscured and there was only a small corner of it that he could see from where he stood. He tried remaining calm, and after a few seconds, that felt more like hours, he saw a pair of woman’s feet in black high heeled shoes. In that moment, his fears were confirmed. Eliza was here, and she had Charlotte.

As his mind started to process the fact that she was in the house, he heard her voice.

“Oh Sidney!” Eliza shrieked. “Why don’t you come downstairs and join us? I know you’re up there. Don’t try to do anything stupid either.”

Sidney looked around the landing for some type of weapon he could grab, but other than the bowl of potpourri that Mary kept at the top of the stairs, there was nothing. He felt helpless and didn’t know how he would manage his way out of this situation. Eliza didn’t care about breaking laws and he knew she would have a weapon on her.

Sidney took a deep breath and started his way down the stairs. As the living room came into view he saw Eliza sitting in the arm chair that faced the fireplace. Adam was standing behind Charlotte as she sat in the chair near Eliza. He could see the gleam of Adam’s gun nudged into Charlotte’s shoulder. Rage surged through Sidney’s entire being. He wanted to tear Adam apart. He looked at Charlotte and her right hand was trembling. He could tell she was terrified, but her eyes were telling him to remain calm.

“What are you doing here, Eliza?” Sidney said in a low and controlled tone.

“Sidney, I thought you would be happier to see me.” Eliza said with a fake smile on her face. “I had heard about Georgiana’s accident, and there was no way that I couldn’t check in and see how you were doing.”

“And this is how you ‘check in’? Breaking into a house and holding an innocent woman at gunpoint?” Sidney replied, as he tried not to grind his teeth.

Eliza rose from the chair, walked over to Sidney and pressed her body towards his. She turned her head and looked at Charlotte.

“Oh, yes, the sweet and innocent Miss Heywood. Now that I have seen her in person, I don’t really know what the fuss is about.” Eliza looked Charlotte up and down and then turned back to Sidney. “I think your time in Sanditon has made you forget what a real woman is.”

Eliza raised her hand towards Sidney’s face and just as she was about to touch him, he grabbed her hand.

“Enough with the games, Eliza, what the hell do you want?” Sidney yelled.

Eliza pulled her hand from Sidney’s grasp and made her way to where Charlotte was seated. Eliza pulled a gun of her own out and traced Charlotte’s face with the cold weapon. Charlotte shivered at the touch of the metal.

“You know what I want, Sidney!”

“No, I don’t.” Sidney said sharply.

“I must say that you seem pretty proud of yourself right now. Do you like knowing that you have now destroyed Tom’s family because you are a snitch?” Eliza said rudely.

“You and I both know that the authorities already knew what you two were up to. I cannot be held responsible for my brother’s actions. I did what I needed to in order to help him get a lesser sentence. I can’t control the fact that you are a horrible person, Eliza, and that they needed my help to bring you down.” Sidney watched as Eliza left Charlotte’s side and walked to the fireplace. She placed her hand on the mantle and leaned towards the fireplace. Sidney could tell she was thinking of her next step. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut and not insulted her.

“Eliza, just get what you came for and let’s get out of here,” Adam said in a trembling voice as he backed away from Charlotte a little bit.

“What are you here for? You already know I turned in the evidence.” Sidney asked Eliza.

“I am here for the second flash drive, the one that could end up with my head on a stick if the information on it ever got out.” Eliza smiled like she had dropped some unsuspecting bomb on him.

When they were still in New York, he had been working on Eliza’s personal computer trying to fix some random glitch she was having and he had found a file of miscellaneous photos. He thought it was odd that everything on her computer appeared to be financial, but this specific folder had pictures of different men in it. Initially, he didn’t think much of it. When he realized that most of the pictures were of actors, he knew something was off. Eliza was never a big TV fan and always preferred to be out on the town instead of staying at home. He had scrolled through some of the photos and found a file folder. The moment he opened it he recognized many famous names, from well known businessmen, to sports figures, to politicians. He realized that Eliza had been holding on to incriminating evidence that varied from affairs to financial schemes, to other salacious matters on each of the men on her list. He didn’t know how she had obtained the information, but suddenly everything made sense. He never understood how she went from stealing money from a charity to having millions of dollars at her disposal. She had been blackmailing people to fund her other schemes.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Sidney said firmly.

“Is this how you want to play this game?” Eliza stepped back towards Charlotte and slapped her across the face. “Give me the drive or I will hurt her again.”

Sidney looked at Charlotte who now had a red mark across her cheek. She looked defiant and nodded to Sidney that she was okay. He was conflicted on how to handle the situation. He needed more time to find a way out of this.

“If Sidney doesn’t have it, then he doesn’t have it. It is possible you are wrong.” Charlotte piped up which caused Eliza to turn red.

“I am never wrong and I always win. I will get that damn drive!” Eliza grabbed Charlotte’s arm and dragged her closer to Sidney. She pushed Charlotte towards his face. “Do you want to kiss her goodbye now?”

Eliza then pushed Charlotte hard back towards the chair she had been sitting in. She landed on the floor near Adam’s feet. Adam had a moment of conscience as he looked at Charlotte. Adam had no feeling at all about Sidney or the Parker Brothers, but he knew Charlotte had been put into a situation that had nothing to do with her. She didn’t deserve to be harmed.

“Eliza, if he says he doesn’t have it, maybe he doesn’t have it.” Adam thought that maybe he could diffuse the situation and they could figure out a new plan. “Wouldn’t he have –“ A shot rang out and Adam collapsed onto the ground.

“That man wasn’t good for anything but his skills in the bedroom.” Eliza said as she looked at Adam’s body on the floor. “I guess that loose end is tied up now.”

Sidney felt like he couldn’t move. Charlotte was trying to apply pressure to Adam’s wound, but it was too late. Sidney knew that Eliza had done so much harm, but she usually wasn’t one to get her own hands dirty. He could tell she was started to lose control and wondered if she had ever pulled a trigger before. He could see the gun shaking in her hand. He needed to disarm her before she hurt Charlotte. He could already tell that Charlotte’s wrist had been injured during her fall to the floor and that was already too much to bear.

“Where is the damn thumb drive Sidney?” Eliza yelled at Sidney.

“Let Charlotte go and I will take you to it.” Sidney said calmly.

“It’s all about Charlotte. I don’t know why you would agree to spy on me!” Eliza was becoming more hysterical with every passing second.“I don’t know why you can’t love me again!”

“Eliza, you need to calm down.” Sidney spoke calmly again and looked at Charlotte. Eliza’s focus was completely on Sidney, so Charlotte took the moment to get herself back up on her feet again. 

“When you came to work for me I really thought we had another chance. I thought I could show you that we belonged together. We could have made a great partnership! What does this girl have that I don’t? She is nothing! Nothing!” Eliza had completely lost it and she pushed herself towards him trying to kiss him. He could feel the desperation that had overtaken her. He couldn’t believe that the girl he met in college had ended up like this, a desperate criminal who was alone and empty. Suddenly, Charlotte was behind Eliza holding a statuette of a head that Tom kept on the mantle. Before Eliza realized Charlotte was there, the statuette was coming down upon her head. As Eliza started to slump onto the floor her gun went off. Charlotte looked towards Sidney who looked to be in shock.

“Charlotte” He said. “I think I’ve been shot.” Charlotte looked down and saw blood soaking through his clothes on the left side of his body. By the time she tried looking at his face he was falling to the ground. She ran over and tried to find where the blood was coming from.

“It’s going to be okay, Sidney.” Charlotte felt tears starting to fall from her eyes. She found her purse that had been sitting on the table and pulled her cell phone out to call authorities. She was applying as much pressure as she could to the wound.

“Sidney! You did not come back to me to do this.” She looked at his wound again. She had never seen so much blood.

“I love you, Charlotte” Sidney forced out. He felt extremely tired and just wanted to close his eyes, but he felt if he did, he would never open them again.


	15. Home is Where Your Heart Is

Two years later….

The rays of the morning sun broke through the large bedroom window as it had done almost every morning for the past three months. Charlotte’s arm reached over and found the space beside her empty once again. She sighed, climbed out of bed and threw on a short silk robe. She walked to the window and looked at the beautiful clear blue water of the ocean. The beaches of Bali were officially her favorite place. She could smell fresh coffee coming from the kitchen and had an urgent need for a cup.

As she got closer to the kitchen, she heard the sound of pans being moved around and dishes clanking. She stood in the doorway for a moment and leaned against the wall. The view in the kitchen rivaled that of the ocean. Sidney stood at the stove with nothing on but an apron. Charlotte loved admiring his form and looking at his muscular arms that lead down to his large hands made her want to get him back into bed right now. She could tell that the sunlight had even given his tight backside a bronzed glow.

The villa had been paradise and had been the peaceful sanctuary that they both had needed so desperately. It was a beachfront property, but had plenty of privacy. The salt water pool was away from prying eyes and their closest neighbors were half a mile away. They had decided that clothing was optional when they would sunbathe and they both had taken advantage of that.

“Good morning! I see that you’re up early.” Charlotte said as she walked over towards Sidney and kissed him. She also gave his butt a little pinch. He jumped slightly and gave her a look that told her not to tempt him. “I thought you would have slept in. It is our last day here.”

“I wanted us to have breakfast on the beach this morning. I was told about a place that is really good for finding seashells and I thought you would like to go. I know that collecting them has now become a new hobby.”

“True, but you already know I have so many. What will they think when we get on the plane home?”

“They’ll know that you have enjoyed your trip to the beach immensely.” Sidney smiled as he started packing up a bag with food. “Now go get dressed and we can head out.”

“Yes, Sir.” Charlotte saluted him teasingly. He grabbed her as she started to walk out of the room and spun her towards him. He placed his lips on her and then gave her neck a few kisses.

“If you kiss my neck like that again we may never make it to the beach.” Charlotte told him.

“You are insatiable, Miss Heywood.” He turned back to finish packing up.

“That’s your fault, Mr. Parker.” Charlotte said as she ran out of the room.

Charlotte found her favorite yellow bikini and put it on. She then put on a white mesh pullover and some dark grey shorts. She knew they would probably end up in the water at some point. The beaches of Bali were on a whole other level than that of Sanditon, and they both had been enjoying every minute of it.

Charlotte thought about everything that had gone on during the past two years. After Sidney had healed from his gunshot wound, Georgiana woke up from her coma. They both ended up in the hospital at the same time and both were initially not the best of patients. Arthur and Charlotte would take turns running from room to room making sure they both were completely taken care of. Luckily, Sidney’s stay was short and there was no long term damage caused by the bullet. Unfortunately, Georgiana would need some rehabilitation and had to be moved to a center closer to Sanditon for a few months. In true Georgiana fashion, she worked hard and was determined to overcome any physical obstacle that came her way, and in no time was done with treatment.

The rehabilitation center ended up doing quite more than just aiding Georgiana in her recovery. It also rejuvenated Arthur’s love life. He had met a handsome doctor and after a whirlwind romance, they were married.

Sidney had gone back to Sanditon along with Charlotte. There was work that had to be done and finances to be sorted once the authorities seized some of the assets. They had to make the hard decision to sell off the family company. It was a very hard pill for Tom to swallow, but the town had become too overshadowed by Eliza’s arrest and Tom’s misfortunes. The initial boom from that grand opening dissipated once the media started talking about the crimes committed. Luckily, new investors did come on board so those who lived in town wouldn’t be affected. James was promoted and took over the entire project. It was still an adjustment for him, but he thrived in his new role.

Charlotte had been shocked the day that Sidney told her Tom had decided to skip the trial. He had thought he would take the chance with a jury, but after reflection decided to take responsibility. He pled guilty for his miscellaneous actions within Eliza’s organization. Mary had been so heartbroken over everything, but she couldn’t have been more proud of her husband the moment he finally admitted that he had been wrong. Thanks to Sidney obtaining evidence and cooperating with police, they were able to get Tom’s sentence reduced and with good behavior they expected him to not be behind bars for too long. The same couldn’t be said about Eliza. Adam’s murder had been at her hands, and that alone would be sending her away for a long time. Sidney had often felt guilty about ever getting involved with her. It took him some time to work through that and release all the guilt he had been feeling for events in his life, but he was able to come out of this a new man, a better man.

Sidney and Charlotte had decided to go on a long holiday once matters were settled. They both agreed quickly to go to Bali. They wanted long, lazy days on a beach and had been told of the peacefulness of that area. They found a beautiful location and were on the next flight out. They had even agreed to turn off their devices and enjoy the world around them. They would check in with their families once a week, but other than that it was just them and the ocean.

Charlotte wished they didn’t have to leave. She had fallen in love with the place and had recently taken up yoga. Sidney seemed so much freer and happier too.

“You ready?” Sidney’s voice broke the silence.

“Yes!” Charlotte threw on a large sun hat and they were off.

The walk along the beach in the morning was always her favorite time of day. The beach was always pretty empty and the feel of the sand squishing up between her toes made her feel grounded. She felt Sidney place his hand in hers and she looked up at him and smiled. She wanted to live this every day. She leaned her body towards him. They walked farther down the beach than they normally would and Charlotte’s stomach started to rumble.

“Okay, this is it.” Sidney said as he put his bag of food on the ground. He took out a blanket and placed it over the sand. He took out the food and started plating it. Charlotte’s eyes immediately went to the sand as she started to look for shells already.

“No cheating. You can wait until after we are done eating.” Sidney said. They started eating and every morsel of food was absolutely delicious. Sidney’s cooking skills had greatly improved since they arrived in Bali. He cooked for them often and enjoyed doing it. He found that it helped him focus and was a great stress reliever. He also loved to impress Charlotte with his creations.

Charlotte felt like she was in heaven. The food had been great. The weather was so beautiful and the sound of the waves was a perfect breakfast soundtrack. She looked at Sidney who had taken his last bite of food. He could tell by looking at her that she was very anxious to start looking for shells. She loved to see what washed ashore and had found very interesting seashells while they were here. It was no joke that she thought they would put her over her baggage weight limit.

“Go ahead.” Sidney smiled at her.

“Are you sure? Aren’t you going to come?” Charlotte asked. He was an expert in finding the best ones.

“I would rather sit here and watch you.”

Charlotte hadn’t walked too far before she heard Sidney calling for her. Charlotte jogged back to the blanket. Sidney was standing holding a shell in his hand.

“What is it?” Charlotte asked.

“I haven’t seen one that looked so perfect.” Sidney said as he handed Charlotte an off white spiral shell that had small ridges on it. “Usually part of it is broken.”

Charlotte looked at it, and as she moved it, she heard a noise.

“It sounds like there is something in there.” She said in a curious tone. She held the shell up to the morning sun and as she brought it back down the sun had reflected off of an object. She shook the shell into her other hand and a ring fell out. Her heart leapt into her throat. She looked towards Sidney who was now down on one knee. Charlotte wanted to speak but she couldn’t form any words. She just started to cry.

“I hope those are good tears” Sidney said. Charlotte bit her lower lip and shook her head yes. Sidney took the ring from her hand as he started to fight back his own emotions.

“Charlotte, my dear Charlotte, words cannot describe how much your love has changed me. You have made me understand what true love and partnership is. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you and adore you. Will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?” Sidney said as tears formed in his eyes.

“Yes! Yes!” Charlotte squealed with excitement. She knocked Sidney back onto the blanket as she covered his face in kisses. After a few moments of exhilarated kisses, she took Sidney’s face in her hands and kissed him again, but this time more passionately. He could feel himself starting to stir.

“Before you do that, do you think I could put the ring on you?” Sidney asked.

“Of course” Charlotte replied. She was elated. Sidney placed the ring on her finger and a feeling of calm washed over her. They were meant to belong to each other. She looked at the ring again and realized that it looked familiar. It seemed vintage as well. “This ring looks familiar for some reason.”

“Do you like it?” Sidney asked nervously.

“I love it. It’s absolutely perfect.”

“It was my mother’s.” Sidney said. “She had left it to me. I had kept it at Bedford Place because I never thought I would be lucky enough to ever need it.”

Charlotte smiled now knowing what Sidney had been looking for on that horrible night. She kissed him again.

“I guess we will have a lot of planning to do when we get back. I am sure Georgiana and Arthur would like to help plan an extravagant wedding.” Sidney said.

“I don’t know. A small wedding on the beach seems to be much more to my liking.” Charlotte smiled as she snuggled into him.

“My thoughts exactly” He replied and kissed the top of her head. They both looked out on the ocean.

“We will also need to find a new place to live.” Charlotte said. She started rambling off places where they could live and Sidney listened to her daydream. The future was full of endless possibilities and together they could go anywhere. Sidney didn’t care where they lived though because he already knew he was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you enjoyed this story! On to the next.....


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